


We Survived The Crisis

by robertstanion



Series: Something You Pine For [5]
Category: Hatchetfield Universe - Team StarKid
Genre: 3 years since iywiyd, Again, Angst, Autistic Paul Matthews, Best Friends, Everyone Is Gay, F/F, F/M, Father Figures, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Lightning - Freeform, M/M, Proceed with caution, TWs at the start of each chapter, The Apotheosis (mentioned), The Black And White, Trans Character, Weddings, a fuck ton of ocs - Freeform, continuation from iywiyd, eldritch deities who happen to be gay, ethan green befriends eldritch gods: the musical, friendy wends, indefinite nightmare time spoilers ahead, not paul matthews being self aware, paulkins are still married, several gay characters, several references to death, someone dies at a wedding, something you pine for lore, the p in peip stands for paulkins and paul matthews, xander is dead but this time john's with him
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-28
Updated: 2021-03-07
Packaged: 2021-03-14 19:49:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 34,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29051673
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/robertstanion/pseuds/robertstanion
Summary: It's been 3 years since John McNamara died during the massacre caused by the deities that held Hatchetfield captive. It's been 3 years since those gods were killed. In 3 years, things change. With a surge in abnormal weather patterns, the worst is only expected, but from who? The Lords In Black are dead, surely that can't still be causing chaos a few days away from a very important wedding...right?We Survived The Crisis is the 5th instalment in the "Something You Pine For" series except this one is a massive fuck you to the younger generation, and also paul and emma
Relationships: Becky Barnes/Tom Houston (Mentioned), Chad/Henry Hidgens, Deb/Alice Woodward, Ethan Green/Lex Foster, Gary Goldstein/Man in a Hurry, George Slate/Lillia Eastward, Kian White/Benny Slate, Lou Hartford/Ruth Yates, Miss Holloway/Douglas "Duke" Keane, Nathaniel Kirk/Eric Moore, Paul Matthews/Emma Perkins, Xander Lee/John McNamara
Series: Something You Pine For [5]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1539838
Comments: 18
Kudos: 3





	1. Don't Judge A Book By It's Cover

**Author's Note:**

> im literally not sorry- anyways heLLO FRIENDS WELCOME BACK TO SOMETHING YOU PINE FOR PART 5, ENJOY YOUR STAY- 
> 
> chapter title: credits to sweet tranvestite. i owe my life to rocky horror. 
> 
> summary: benjamin slate has a wedding to plan. my favourite f/f make a comeback. emma perkins. enjoy !!

The sun had risen at 6:34 that morning exactly. She knew that because she’d been awake, watching the sun rise from where she lay in the bed she shared with her significant other. Rightfully so, she’d found it hard to sleep that night. She understood that, with it being the anniversary of PEIP defeating The Apotheosis, that they’d be celebrating for the majority of the day. She wasn’t up to any partying. She wanted to stay at home and continue decorating, holding her girlfriend tightly in her arms. She didn’t want to have to risk anything, so she chose on trying to stay in bed for as long as she could, swimming in her thoughts.

The wedding was three days away. That was what the majority of the precinct had been talking about lately. With no major god to fight, PEIP had become more socialised instead of fighting, and it wasn’t what she wanted. She wanted to fight, she’d signed up to fight, not to sit around and listen to the twin sister of her girlfriend gush about how ‘ _cute they are_.’ She could see that Benny was happy without her, she didn’t need that constant reminder being shoved back in her face.

She watched the hours merge into one another. Nothing made sense anymore. She didn’t think it ever would again. After the loss of her parents, the only thing she could to continue their legacy was change her surname to match hers. She signed documents as a member of the family she’d been adopted in to three years ago. She’d been naïve to believe that would be all it took to stop missing her fathers. From the minute her father was taken off of life support, from the moment he flatlined, she hadn’t been the same.

It had been a long, hard grieving process that continued every day. Without the man who mentored her and the brightest man to roam PEIP’s halls, she found it unfair she got to live. Her mom had died when she was only a baby and she was raised by her drunken excuse of a father. She learned to tolerate the verbal abuse and learned to impress her teachers in school. She learned how to become popular, how to get a job, how to do all the things she was told she couldn’t do. She had nobody to prove it to. All her idols were dead. Why wasn’t she?

Everything happens for a reason was what she got told frequently after the incident happened by people who were careless to get to know her, only going off of what they knew about the late General and Lieutenant. She sent an email to General Schaffer explaining she’d be unable to return back to PEIP full time for a long time due to her grieving, and luckily for her, Schaffer understood. She didn’t sleep. She barely ate. She forgot how to take care of herself once John died. Truly, she felt as if she had nobody.

On that morning, of the 28th of July 2022, she lay with her arm wrapped around her girlfriend, looking out the window at nothing in particular. It was the same view she saw every day, a window full of bone-like trees in the autumn, but flourishing leaves in the spring. A large garden full of bluebells and roses, daisies and dandelions, that littered the grounds. Her parents always used to plant them for each other, and she continued the tradition. Nobody else had bothered to keep the memory of the two greatest men she ever knew alive, but that wouldn’t stop her.

She kept trying to lie to herself that there wasn’t another man who changed her life. She tried to cut him out of her life completely. But everywhere she went, she carried the emotional baggage of guilt that had burdened her. Every day, the words she’d screamed at her played on repeat as if her mind were a faulty record player, continuing to skip on that one specific phrase.

_You understand me? I FUCKING HATE YOU!_

Then and there, she flinched at her 19 year old self’s past actions, shuddering, noticing as her girlfriend began to wake. She checked the time. 7 in the morning. She’d be going to work soon. She needed to get up. She pushed back the duvet and swung her legs on the side of the bed, shutting her eyes so she didn’t catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She couldn’t recognise herself anyway, no matter what she did. She heard the shuffle of her significant other moving closer to her, a hand placing itself on her lower back.

“I’ve got to go to work.”

“I know.”

She let out the breath she’d been holding for quite some time, her entire form dropping with her, running a hand over her face. “The wedding’s in three days.”

“I know that as well.” The bed shifted as the other lady hauled herself to sit up, an arm wrapping around the other’s waist. “You can gate-crash it, you know.”

She let out an emotionless laugh, her head shaking upon instinct. “He doesn’t need me there to ruin his big day, Ruth. He’s happier without me anyway.”

“That isn’t true.” Ruth’s voice remained soft and quiet, her own head finding its way to lean against her shoulder. “You know that isn’t true.”

“I _wish_ I knew it wasn’t true.”

Ruth looked up at her, finding her head shook, disapproving the point. “Who did we agree was gonna be the donor, Louie?”

A moment of silence paused before she placed her head in her hands. “Benny, I know, I know.”

“If he still hated you, if he hated you _at all,_ do you think he’d be responsible for our child?” She took Lou’s hand and placed it on her stomach. She watched as Lou fell silent again, like she usually had been these past few years. She kept Lou’s hand on her stomach, placing her own hand on top of Lou’s. “He agreed to being our donor. Because of him, we’re having a baby. Isn’t that amazing?” She watched Lou nod, and a smile blossomed on to her face. “I know it’s been three years, my love, but you need to realise beating yourself up over something that happened while you were grieving doesn’t determine the present, okay?”

“Okay…”

Ruth brushed Lou’s hair behind her ear, kissing the skin of her cheek that had shown. “Go get ready for work, Lieutenant.”

“You’ve gotta get up for work as well, Ruth.” Lou turned to face her girlfriend, who’s face was glowing as the sunshine beamed into the room.

“I know.” She sat up straighter and kissed Lou quickly, getting off the bed with the assistance of her girlfriend. She grabbed her uniform from the wardrobe and walked to the bathroom while Lou changed in the bedroom. She returned shortly after and took a seat at their shared vanity, where Lou was still buttoning up her shirt. “They were talking about the guest list to Dana the other day.”

“I bet we weren’t on it. All the invites have been handed out.”

“I know they have, sweetheart. But you know Benny.”

“I _used_ to know Benny. If he walked into this room, I don’t think you realise how awkward it would truly be.”

“He hasn’t changed much.”

“You’re only going off of what Danielle’s actually told you, babe. She’s a people pleaser. She don’t just say stuff because it’s true. She says things and twists them so it pleases the other person.”

“Not when it comes down to the friend group, it doesn’t.”

“Either way,” Ruth continued before Lou could fall into a deeper pessimistic state than the one she was already in. “There is always going to be a spontaneous aspect to them. We can’t second guess what is about to happen.”

“I’m aware of that, and it fucking sucks.” There was a bite to her voice that sprung out whenever the specific group of agents were bought up or mentioned. Lou forced down a sigh and got off the bench as Ruth finished her makeup, helping her up and down to the car. “We’ll get breakfast on the way. And then, when I’m safely tucked away, I’m not moving from the office all day.”

“Nobody ever said you had to move.”

They drove over to PEIP. Ruth was sat in the passengers’ seat, a hoodie over her growing bump, Lou in the driver’s seat. Three years ago, John McNamara would have sat in this seat, Xander Lee beside him. They’d drive on the very same road that the two of them took every single day. Maybe in another dimension they were happy. Maybe they found themselves. She parked at the red-bricked building and helped Ruth out of the car to prevent her from falling over and helped her inside to comms. She kissed her goodbye, walking straight over to her segment of the precinct.

The precinct was exactly as how Xander had decorated it during the month all agents got off. Each room was designated to certain agents, and the grieving room expanded yearly. They had a garden now, though, with statues of PEIP’s iconic figures where people could pay respect in full. There was one for General Icacks, ones for Colonels Carter, Hill, Holloway and Cross, and the newest were for John and Xander. Schaffer spent a lot of budget to get them made, but the memorial garden was definitely a beautiful place to go. People often went there to learn about the history of the people who made PEIP what it was today, but Lou went there to grieve. She had nothing better to do, after all.

She unlocked the door to her office and stepped inside, hearing the chatter of a couple of other people from the other room across the hall. She didn’t care about how happy they sounded. She just _wished_ that she could have done something to save her own sanity, her own happiness, preserve it in fucking resin or something. But, happiness was an emotion and couldn’t be preserved physically like she so desperately needed.

Minutes later, the door creaked open again, and she rolled her eyes, slamming her pen down beside her keyboard. “Have you not heard of _knocking?!”_ She hissed, looking up at the person who’d entered, and upon looking at him, guilt consumed her again. “Major Slate.”

“Lieutenant McNamara.” His voice was respective, as it usually had been before, but he sounded mature. He looked mature. He didn’t look like the Benny Slate who had felt he hadn’t earned a place in the world, who’d cried when Elliot had died, who’d struggled to wake up most mornings. They’d practically switched places. He gestured to the seat on the other side of the desk, looking back to her. “May I?”

“Sure. Whatever. You’d probably do it anyway.” She lifted her pen back up as he sat down in front of her. Despite everything, she tried to ignore how tense her shoulders were. “Make it quick.”

“I’m inviting you to the wedding.”

That caught her attention. “I’m sorry?”

“Kian doesn’t know- look, Lou…there ain’t been a day that passed that I don’t regret tryna t’get y’back in my life sooner, y’know? And I know I shouldn’t be the one to apologise but…I just don’t think it’s gonna be right without you there. Why have we let one little argument slip up and ruin our entire loves- dammit, this is the first time we’ve spoken in three years.”

“That…would be correct.”

“So why don’t we change that?” He asked, pressing further to try and persuade her to come to the wedding. “Please, Lou. I got Sloane, and I got Carrie, but I ain’t got you.”

She looked at him and placed her pen on the desk, placing her hands in her lap, before uttering something softly. She heard him clear his throat, mimicking her to speak up, and a growl bit at her throat. _“Fine!_ I’ll go!” Her eyes snapped up at him, and she saw a grin forming wide on his face. He got up from his chair and bolted around to her, wrapping his arms tightly around her. She flinched slightly before realising this was Benny, the Benny she’d felt so protective over so long ago. Now they were speaking again. She could cry. “Okay- _okay!_ Can you let go of me now or-?”

“Sorry.” He scratched the back of his neck nervously as he pulled away. He reached into his pocket, producing an envelope coated in glitter, pressing it against her chest, grinning. He saluted to her before rushing across the hall to his office.

Before the door shut, he heard an excited squeal of, “ _she said yes!”_ and she slumped down into her chair. Ruth was the right. The asshole was as spontaneous as he’d always been. She opened the envelope and read over the invitation, smiling softly. Maybe things would work out in her favour. Maybe this would be her chance.

* * *

A fierce young lady, aged 36, roamed proudly round the precinct, her lab coat flaring behind her as she strutted. Beside her was a tall man with neatly combed hair dressed in a brown blazer and a white dress shirt, a tie covering the chest area. Together, they walked over to the laboratories, where two other agents sat. The first was dressed in a red sweater that would usually be worn at Christmas time, fit with blue jeans. The other was wearing a teal shirt and pants, a lab coat on top of that as well. His fair hair was tied in a ponytail and his beard was trimmed neatly.

Either way, she stormed into the room and slammed a file down on the desk, looking at the two men around her. She opened up the file and pulled out a picture of a seemingly normal area in the sky. “If you notice here, these bright white spots? They’re storm activities. There can _not_ be full evidence of three different storms happening within metres of each other.”

“Emma, what are you implying?” The red sweater wearing doctor, Nathaniel Kirk, asked, and Emma looked at them.

“Well, it’s reasonably simple, don’t you think? With something as abnormal as this…” She pulled out another item to accompany it. It was a black book encased in leather, and she pushed it towards the other doctor, Micah. “It can only mean one thing.”

“Where did you get this?” Micah asked after looking at the item for an extended period of time, and Emma didn’t answer. Her husband did, though.

“I found it in CCRP while I was working. I thought I’d bring it over. Considering something with the faded inscriptions of _Wiggog Y’Wrath_ and others are imprinted on it...”

“So the storms are becoming more active, more frequent and Paul’s randomly found this book in his office…what do you think it means?” Kirk asked, and all eyes landed on Emma, who folded the file back up.

“I don’t think it’s over yet.”


	2. Standing Out Of The List

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> chapter title credits: where do broken hearts go - one direction
> 
> summary:   
> benjamin goes batshit on serotonin, lou shows that she's a true mcnamara, emma's fucking done with the gay guys in her team, uh....more gay guys?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: man it's just mentions of john and xander dying from iywiyd and i believe that could have been traumatic for some of you/lh

As soon as Lou had said yes to his request, Benny had almost cried on the spot. Finally, after three years, he’d stopped being a coward and had finally gathered the right amount of courage to ask her to the biggest event of his life. He was marrying Kian White, and she was gonna be there for him. He hadn’t felt this happy for a long while. He found it unfair he got to recover from what happened while she never gave herself the chance to mourn. He’d pulled her into a hug, unable to keep himself back. He’d got to hold her in his arms again and by god he could have _kissed her,_ but he didn’t because she was with Ruth, and her and Ruth were having a baby and he could only respect that. Even if he had have kissed her, it wouldn’t have been romantic at all. Love took form in many more ways than one.

So, when he inevitably returned back to his office, where Kian sat unaware, he couldn’t hold himself back. He’d shut the door, bouncing on his feet. He hadn’t given his fiancé the chance to speak before he blurted out the news, the news that he was unaware of. “She said yes!” He squeaked as he looked at Kian, beaming wide.

Kian looked at him, furrowing his eyebrows. He laughed and shook his head, moving his legs off of the desk, putting them firmly back on the floor. “Benny, baby, what the _fuck_ do you mean ‘she said yes?’” He asked, watching as Benny pulled up a chair. “Okay, Ben, this is your desk, you come and sit round here, I’ll move up.”

Benny flushed, but quickly rolled the other chair around to his desk where he turned himself, facing his fiancé, taking his hands. “Okay, so you’re gonna call me crazy but-“

“I have a feeling this isn’t going to end particularly well, my love.” Kian laughed again, but Benny shushed him.

“Okay, listen.” He took a breath and looked Kian in the eyes. “I had my first conversation in three years with Lou and I asked her to our wedding, and she said yes.” He rambled; the sentence barely able to be heard without a repeat. Luckily, Kian had to put up with Benny’s ramblings very often, so he got the gist of it fairly quickly.

“Lou’s coming to the wedding?”

“Lou’s coming to the wedding!” Benny’s smile somehow grew wider, and Kian laughed. He wrapped his arms around the other agent, pulling him close. Benny felt a kiss pressed to his forehead as the door opened.

“Who’s going to the wedding?” George asked as he shut the door, placing an excited Poppy on the floor of the office.

“Lou’s going to the wedding,” Kian clarified as Benny fought his way out of the hug, sitting up straighter.

“Since when?!” George asked, some variation of astonishment in his voice.

“Since today. I asked her.” Benny told him, his eyes sparkling with pride, as he lifted Poppy up. “You missed me and Kian, didn’t you?” He asked, kissing Poppy’s nose. At the sound of his daughter’s giggle, his heart warmed. He sat back in his chair, looking to George. “How’s Lillia?”

“She’s good.” George said before a small silence filled the room. He felt Benny giving him _the_ look, and he sighed. “What do you want me to say?”

“Am I an uncle yet?”

“Benjamin, why would I tell you that?” George asked and looked at him. “I’ve told you. We won’t tell anyone until at _least_ three months!”

“You’ve been trying for like a year, George _please_ tell me that I’m gonna be an uncle!”

“Ben,” Kian chuckled, wrapping his arm around Benny’s shoulders. “Leave your brother alone. I know you’re excited, but personal boundaries sweetheart.”

Benny pouted for a minute before sighing. “Sorry, George.”

“I promise, if we get two lines on a stick, you’ll be the first to know.” George smiled and walked forward, ruffling Benny’s hair. “Mr _I’m getting married at age 22.”_

“Oh, _shut_ up!” He glared at his brother, pushing his hand away from him. “Get off my hair-“

“Or what? You’ll try and fight me?” George asked teasingly, not expecting much of an answer from Benny.

“Keep up the attitude, Georgethy, and I’ll fight you on the dancefloor in three days’ time.”

“I look forward to it.” The older Slate sibling smiled, laughing lightly. “Have you seen General Schaffer recently? I gotta organise schedules with her.”

“Oh, yeah she should be in her office. If not, the gym.”

“Got it.” George saluted to Benny, smiling. “I’ll meet you in here when your shifts ended.”

“As you usually do, now _fuck_ off!” Benny told his brother.

“Language!” George told him, gesturing to his niece, who was contently playing with a pencil that Kian had given her. Either way, the three men said their goodbyes for the time being allowing George to leave and get on with his work. As he went to go and find General Schaffer, however, he passed a familiar figure with soft, blonde hair wearing an oversized hoodie. He nodded politely to the agent, receiving a nod in return, and continued on with his journey.

* * *

Ruth Yates tucked a few loose strands of her hair behind her ear. She stood outside of Lou’s office, knocking gently, waiting to be let in. Once she got the heads up, she pushed open the door and walked inside, taking a seat in front of her desk, watching as Lou seemed to slide an invitation back to an envelope, tucking it into the drawer of her desk. She raised an eyebrow, gesturing towards it. “What’s that?”

“It…” Lou looked up to her, her cover pretty much busted. “You were right.”

“About what?”

“Benny’s wedding. He um…he came by a couple minutes ago…he asked me if I wanted to go.”

“He _spoke_ to you?” She asked, her eyes widening slightly, watching as her girlfriend smiled gently.

“Yeah…yeah, he came by, he hugged me. I almost started crying because it’s been _3 years_ and there’s still hope that he wants to be in my life. In our life.”

“Our family’s life.” Ruth corrected, taking Lou’s hand, squeezing it gently. “So, we got an invite to the wedding.”

“Yes, we did. I’ve just heard Benny shrieking about it in his office…” Lou’s smile brightened as she thought about him. “I love him. I really do. And it’s just…it’s been so long, and I’m glad he’s happy because…he just deserves everything.”

“He sure does. He’s been through enough.” Ruth squeezed her girlfriend’s hand again, looking at her dotingly. “And so have you.”

Lou nodded, though she didn’t really believe it. She believed that there were people in her life who’d gone through a lot worse than she had, that deserved the appreciation instead of her. She still felt, most days, that she was treated like a pity party instead of the soldier she’d been trained to be. She was independent, ambitious and unable to be stopped. She had a team herself, and luckily, they got the idea to not mention John or Xander up at all. They also learned not to apologise to her about her adopted fathers or about Benny. They were fast learners, but some of them weren’t fast enough.

So, she took it upon herself to train them like how John had trained her – firmly but giving them leeway so that she was seen as a figure they could go to if they had an issue. Even though she hadn’t had her team for very long, they were slowly warming up to the fact that she didn’t have a hard exterior that she often put on. She wasn’t that person. She understood their trauma a lot better than many other agents would be able to. It was clear she’d set her place in PEIP.

She pulled her sleeve back and checked the time on the watch, one of John’s, that she wore constantly. She knew her fathers would appreciate the gesture, but it always seemed to be warm, like John’s hand around her wrist to ground her during missions that went somewhat badly. She always told people that it was just because she found it in the house, never once revealing the real answer. She didn’t want to be seen as weak.

She sighed softly, rolling her sleeve back down. She took the hairband out of her ponytail, her hair falling just past her shoulders at that point considering she’d cut it during a mental breakdown not too long ago. She also shaved a slit in her eyebrow. She thought Ruth would pass out on the spot once she saw it, but she didn’t. That was a good night. She smiled at Ruth, standing up, offering her her other hand. “Miss Yates, shall we go back home?”

“I believe we should, Miss McNamara. After all, it’s off shift for us and we don’t have to come back in until later. Schaffer’s orders.” Ruth took Lou’s hand and allowed the help standing back up.

Lou laughed, relieved, wrapping an arm around Ruth’s waist. “See, the thing about Schaffer being the general is that she will let you work for a couple of hours on a quiet day and send you home. _Dad,_ however? Dad would give you more to do. And I love him, don’t get me wrong, because he saved my fuckin’ life, but he was just always focused on working.”

“Yeah. But PEIP ran smoothly with that strategy. Especially with The Lords In Black around at the same time.” Ruth told her, leaning into Lou’s side as they walked back to the JEIP. “And I bet Schaffer would do the same if The Lords In Black happened to become active again-“

“Which they _won’t_ because Lieutenant Matthews killed the five of them, with Nibblenephim having died before. He reunited my dads in death. I’ll always respect that man.”

Ruth hummed, nodding, pushing the door open, walking out into the car park. “Paul is a good man.”

“As is Kirk, as is Icacks, as is Emma who keeps the four of them together. I don’t want to think about what PEIP would be like without the Matthews with the pants.”

Ruth laughed, heading over to the JEIP, opening the door and climbing in. She shrugged and buckled in, looking at Lou. “Emma is one hell of a woman.”

“She sure is.” Lou got in, buckling herself up, starting the car. She pulled out of the parking lot and headed towards their house on the edge of the site that she’d only ever know as her fathers’ place. She couldn’t fully grasp the idea that now they were gone, the property was hers completely. It was wild.

They drove, and they made light conversation. Lou parked and got out the car, furrowing her eyebrows as she noticed how dark it was. It was the middle of the day; it shouldn’t be as dark as the night itself. She brushed her hair behind her ear, looking up at the sky to see something so unusual it couldn’t be anything good.

A blue swirling spot of psychic energy, so it seemed, crackled in the air. It looked as if there was a creature not of their world trying to break out, trying to claim them or at _least_ pull them into another dimension…wait.

Lou’s eyes widened as a clap of thunder sounded, the ground shaking at the force. She grabbed Ruth and rushed her to the door, unlocking the door, getting her inside. Ruth was the priority. She stood in the doorframe as the first bolt of lightning hit the ground. It fizzed, burning a hole in the road in front of her. She rushed herself inside, locking the door, seating Ruth on the couch, looking out the window from a distance. She heard another clap of thunder, saw another bright blue bolt of lighting and swallowed.

She pulled her phone out of her pocket, temporarily ignoring Ruth’s query about what was wrong or what was going on, something like that, sending Schaffer a message.

_McNamara III: Something spooky going on maam. Keep everyone indoors if possible._

_Genny Schaf: The storm?_

_McNamara III: Correct_

_Genny Schaf: All the people who need to be in the safe areas are in there aside from the main team._

_McNamara III: lmao ironic af_

_McNamara III: dad’s house is pretty much indestructible._

_Genny Schaf: I’ll get the team there soon. Don’t move a muscle._

_McNamara III: I wasn’t planning on it, ma’am._

* * *

As soon as Emma stopped talking, a clap of thunder halted all their thoughts. She walked straight over to the window and pulled the curtains over, her eyes widening at the sight. At the same time, she saw a blue, purple and yellow flash of lightning within metres of each other. She shook her head, watching the holes that opened in the ground. She turned around, holding hands out to the other men in the room, who’d stood and looked at the window curiously. “So basically, ring anyone you need and tell them to get their asses back home. It appears we’re at the epicentre.”

“God _dammit!”_ Micah groaned, sitting back down, hitting his head on the table. “I can’t go through this again! Paul, you fuckin’ killed the bastards, didn’t you?!”

“Yeah! I took my gun and they all just…dropped dead! I think!”

“You think?!” Micah asked, his eyes flying open wide as he looked at him. “I swear to fuck god I will get Gary to wreck you.”

“Uh, my boyfriend used to be the Secretary of Defence.” Nathaniel argued back, looking to Micah, who tutted.

“Oh _please,_ he was Sec of Defence for a dumbass president who would often _try_ to get himself killed! He was practically reliant on Eric and- _oh no…”_

“The Matthews family are reliant on their significant others…” Kirk said, looking at Micah, who had the exact same thought cross his mind. He watched as Micah took off in the other direction, and he ran after him. “Don’t you dare ring my boyfriend and tell him I’m dead!”

“I’ll tell my brother instead, don’t you worry!”

Emma pinched the bridge of her nose and groaned at the two’s antics. “At least I got the _sensible_ Matthews.”

“You sure did,” Paul said and smiled softly. “Do you think we should go to Schaffer or?”

“No need…” Emma turned and looked to the door, watching as Benny scrambled to get the door open.

“ _Guys!”_ He panted, wiping sweat off of his forehead. “You would _not_ believe-“

“About the storms? We’ve seen.” Paul told him. Benny seemed to be relieved himself as he nodded.

“Okay, so basically, get anything you can from home, ring your significant others if you can, we gotta go to John and Xander’s old place apparently, I don’t know, we ain’t got much time- _hey!”_ He shouted to Nathaniel and Micah, who were both currently squabbling over the phone. “You hear? Grab your cells! We gotta go into hiding now which is _fucking_ fantastic.” He rolled his eyes, and at the shout of his name from Kian, rushed back out, saluting to Emma who saluted back.

Emma took Paul’s hand, grabbing her keys. “And this is why you always keep a spare change of clothes in the boot of your car!” Together, the two of them practically abandoned Micah and Nathaniel, running out to their own car, where they discovered they’d have to take Nathaniel and Micah anyways because they usually walked to work. Emma rolled her eyes at the other two men once they got to the car, speeding off before they had a chance to get back in.

She watched as more lightning bolts struck nearby her but never close enough to be seen as a threat. Though she wasn’t as scared as she should be, she could see Paul’s face paling. When she had the chance, she grabbed his hand while she was driving, placing her hand in his own. She ran her thumb over his knuckles, feeling his hand loosen in her grip meaning he must have relaxed even by a fraction.

They soon approached the address where Lou was at the doorstep, guiding everyone inside. She could see Eric and Gary’s car parked, as well as Schaffer, Benny and George’s. Emma rushed to the back of the car, grabbing her and Paul’s bag. She met him inside, letting Lou shut the door, watching as everyone recoupled in the living room. Even with the hustle and bustle, Schaffer managed to draw attention to herself, Lou standing proudly by her side.

“Alright, _alright!”_ She shouted, silencing the room nearly immediately. “As you’re aware, this isn’t exactly PEIP, but we also know that Xander and John were smart men. They made a sort-of-PEIP in their own home in case of emergencies, for which they regularly occurred. That means I’m gonna need Colonel Matthews, Doctor Icacks and Lieutenant Colonel Kirk to head straight down to Xander’s personal lab. Matthews, Goldstein and Moore _may_ go with them if they are not to prove to be nuisances. Danielle and Ruth, you two are to head to the comms room. Major Slate, Lieutenant McNamara, Sergeant Major White and I will head straight up to the office where we will monitor this behaviour. George and Lillia, take Poppy to a quieter room. I’m sure she’s terrified.”

“She is,” Benny clarified, handing his daughter off to his older brother, looking to his mentor for further instructions.

“Alright, now go!” She shouted, to which the team split off into their different sectors.

Emma took her husband’s hand and ran off directly to Xander’s lab, not being able to bask in the glory of where someone she once admired had worked at home. She got Paul set up, directing Kirk and Icacks to their stations, directing Gary and Eric to where they needed to go so that they were in eyesight but wouldn’t distract her team. She loaded up her laptop and looked at the map of the storms, watching as they drew closer.

The second the edges began to touch, there was a louder clap of thunder, one much louder than before, one closer…one that seemed to be inside of the house. Slowly, Emma turned in time to see a bright white light, a blinding, piercing light. She shielded her eyes, having to turn her back until the glowing had faded. Once it had, there was low muttering, almost frantic.

“Where are we?” The voice asked, but it couldn’t be alone if it was asking about _we._ That was Emma’s reasoning.

“I-a lab or sorts, my darling I…I’m not quite sure…”

“Where _is_ he!”

“I don’t know, dear, please, take a deep breath. I’m sure he’s safe with his friends.”

“And Ethan?”

“Is fine, I assure you.”

Emma recognised at least one of the voices. She drew a gun out of the lab coat that she wore, only ever using it if it was necessary. She spun around on the heel of her foot, aiming the gun directly at the two men, her eyes widening. “Professor Hidgens?!”

“Emma?” The professor with silvery tints to his hair asked, though there was a new youthfulness to his eyes that was never there before. “Emma, where- what year is it?”

“it’s 2022, sir?”

“Chad- chad it’s 2022! It’s been-“

“I know how long it’s been,” the other man ran a hand through his long red hair, wrapping his arm around Henry’s shoulders.

“So if we were the- if _I_ went missing in 1973 and _you_ went missing in 2000, and Emma’s here, then where are the others?!” Hidgens asked, looking into Chad’s eyes until another clap of thunder sounded. Chad caught a glimpse from the corner of his eye of the bright blue bolt that it nearby the window, but he was focused on the man he loved so much. He watched as Henry became still, almost spaced out, until his eyes rolled back into his head, falling against Chad’s chest. Chad looked up to Emma and swallowed.

“You know what this means right?”

“That my biology professor broke into the house in a beam of fuckin’ light like the one he was cured of The Apotheosis from back whenever that bastard happened?”

Chad shook his head, running a hand through Henry’s limp curls. “He’s tamed.”

“I’m sorry…can you repeat that?” A man that Chad couldn’t recognise, one with long blonde hair tied into a ponytail wearing teal scrubs, asked politely.

“Pokotho has left his mark just like how T’Noy Karaxis made his mark on me…Pokotho chose his leader. And now me and Henry are out of there…and _you’re_ out of there, Emma…” Almost on cue, a laugh so familiar rang throughout the house.

“ _Did you miss us, fwendy-wends?”_

Emma felt her blood run cold as she took Paul’s hand, leaning against him, keeping her guard up. Kirk was standing in front of Eric, Gary watching Micah curiously, not knowing what was going on. Micah, himself, lifted a radio to his lips and clicked the button, his hand shaking slightly.

_“Icacks to Schaffer…we got news.”_

* * *

From the depths of the coldest realm on Earth, five gods stood up, three of which having their pawed hands ripping a gap in the fabric of time and space itself. Only one portal was open successfully, and the green-suited man peered down. He giggled, as did his brothers. He allowed himself to step up, blood dripping off the fur that he wore with pride, his tentacles moving every time he spoke. “Well, my bwothers…ouw time is soonew than we thought.”

“I can’t get it!” The smaller god, who’d gotten his paw stuck in the fabric he was trying to open. He fell forward, face planting the blood. Luckily for him, his idol, his older brother with the goat horns and the yellow suit, the teal eyes, and the long blonde plait, hoisted him back up, sitting him back down.

“We will try again soon, brother. We’re getting stronger every single day….except for Nibbly.”

“Yeah, what the fuck are you gonna do, Nibbly?! Do what the rest of us are doing or go rogue again? At least _we_ had one person from an alternate dimension, and you had _two?!_ Bitch.” Blinky scoffed, still focused on ripping the floor open like his older brother.

“I told you, I’m waiting for _Quinn.”_ He growled, and the other four laughed.

“Whatever! What’s a seventeen-year-old gonna do?” Tinky laughed, and Nibbly ran his tongue over his shining teeth.

“You’d be surprised how well this youngling is going to benefit me…”

“The fuck is this? Star Wars?” Blinky asked, turning his head to his brother, earning a growl in return. He focused, his eye going a bright red, seeing another flash of purple lightning down below. “No fucking fair! Hidge and Hidgens-Carter are back on Earth, Perkins never went away, and what about my little bitch?! That Alice had _power,_ man!”

“Oh, shut up, Bwinky. You’we just jeawous.” Wiggly rolled his eyes, kicking Blinky’s side, causing the seer to roll on to his side, cutting off his connection with Hatchetfield.

“I’m gonna fuckin KILL YOU-“

“Jealous, jealous, jealous-“ Pokey and Tinky were chanting as Blinky dove for his brother while Nibbly watched on, unimpressed.

From the back of the realm, a man in a bright blue suit and buzzed hair watched on intensely. He had scars on his chest from the number of pulses that had been trying to keep him alive, but he subsequently ended up in the realm he’d been trying to avoid for so long. At least Ethan was safe that time, and at least he didn’t have to attend the god-awful meetings at the ‘round table’ as Linda always labelled it.

Beside him stood a stern man in a white suit, arms crossed against his chest, hair tied into a ponytail, gun placed in his belt. He shook his head, looking up to the other man beside him. “And you had to deal with them for _how_ long?”

“I know.” The first nodded, looking down to the white-suited man. “Except they were more evil and less…puppy like.”

“I’m glad I got stuck with the puppies.”

“I’m glad I got stuck with _you.”_

“Xander that was so gay.”

“You’re gayer than I am. Don’t try to pretend you’re not.”

“That’s such a lie, but whatever.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha lol i literally knew this was happening and nobody else did haha lol look at me go doWNSHIFTING GEARS THROUGHOUT THE YEARS-
> 
> anyways my sister won't take this frog bucket hat she got for her birthday off and it's scary


	3. Up To Your Mouth, Feeling It Out

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Song Credits: Medicine - Harry Styles
> 
> Summary: micah icacks becomes a gay motherfucker, miss carolina bates and sloane torres make an appearance, chad has an interview, emma confirms some shit and uh,,, becky barnes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> cw: getting murdered in a forest, nick johnson

Henry didn’t wake for three days. He almost didn’t wake at all, and when his eyes opened after the last bolt of lightning, sent complete relief around the entire team who’d been watching over him like an eagle. Schaffer had organised a spare room to put him in, to nurse him back to full health, or as full a health they could get away from the precinct. Chad had carried him up not long after he’d passed out, and Micah had ben the one assigned to his case. He’d hooked him up to an IV as well as life support, allowing his boyfriend to stay with him.

He stayed in contact with Sloane, enabling himself to take her advice, to listen to what advice she had to offer. She was smart. For a young girl, she was incredibly smart, as a matter of fact. He wouldn’t be surprised that she had contact with The Black and White herself. They communicated through skype and over the phone, allowing her to see the full scenario over a screen. It was the way that worked the best. So, he took her advice what to do, and he got some extremely bizarre results.

He took blood samples to start with. Three different syringes filled with his blood in variating times of the day. At 10:00 AM sharp, Henry Hidgens’ blood was full of haemoglobin, as an average human would be expected to have. It was rich in colour, a wine-red. He looked healthy. At 12:00, midday, the blood was a darker colour, more purple, but barely. There were different kinds of spores under the microscope, blue coloured droplet-shaped spores that were mixing with the haemoglobin. There were only one or two, so logically, Micah thought that Henry’s body would be able to fight it off himself. By 2:00 PM, Henry’s blood was filled more with the droplet spores. Micah consulted Sloane based on his discovery. Luckily, she was able to get into the files that would usually only be accessed by PEIP.

“Sir,” she told him, sending him the file through. “These spores have been found before in two other cases, both of which being two different variants of The Apotheosis.”

“And The Apotheosis, if I’m not mistaken, was caused by the subparticle BL-U3, am I correct?” Micah asked her, taking a sip of his coffee.

“Correct, Micah. The subparticle BL-U3 has been linked back to the Eldritch God, Pokotho. Originally, he went by the name Astraia, but over recent times we have seen him drop the ballgown for a suit similar to that of T’Noy Karaxis.”

“Are-“ he spluttered on his coffee, half between swallowing it and spitting it out.

“Are you alright, Micah?”

Micah held a finger up to the camera, telling her to pause and to wait until he finished choking. He managed to swallow what he was choking on, taking a swig of water to calm the harshness in his throat. “Are you telling me that an Eldritch God is possibly…transgender?”

“It seems so.” Sloane shrugged, watching as Micah’s eyebrows furrowed, but a small spark lit up in his eyes. “Micah?”

“Besides that fact, Pokotho. He started The Apotheosis. Do you mind sending me through all the symptoms of an infected person, and also all the information we have on a member of the Tamed from the original Hatchetfield Six we know of, so Xander-“

“Paul Matthews, Ted Spankoffski, Jane Perkins, Linda Monroe and Wilbur Cross. Yes. Yes, I can.” Sloane smiled politely, leaning back on her chair, kicking her foot up, placing her laptop in her lap so she could find the file easier. “Carrie?” She called behind her, hearing the hum of her co-worker and friend. “You still busy with Johnson?”

“Uh, kinda, but she’s focusing on her work. What do you need?” Carolina asked, spinning around on her chair, sliding another note card to her mentee, Quinn.

“You got any information on Pokotho babe?”

“Yeah, is this a ‘ _I can’t be assed to type in the results into the search bar’_ situation or-“

“You know me too well.” Sloane smiled, running her hand through her thin, ginger hair. She checked the time on her watch, her eyes widening. “Fuck!”

“You okay?” Carrie asked, typing the name of the document into her computer.

“Guess who’s getting _married this afternoon!”_

“Shit! Has it been that soon? Dammit!” Carrie started typing quicker, as if that made a difference. “Fuck, can you get Micah to ask Schaffer about if we’re gonna be able to get over to the house for Ben? Damn, he’s gonna be fuckin’ panicking!”

“I know, I know.” Sloane placed her laptop back on the desk, sending Micah the file about the original Hatchetfield Six. “Micah? You there?”

“I’m here, loud and clear.” He said, running his hand through his hair and over his face. “What’s needed?”

“A message to Schaffer requesting information about how me and Carrie are getting over there to see Benny and Kian get married.”

“Right, of course. I’ll consult her after I get the files through. Is Carolina on the Pokotho file?”

“Yes.”

“Are you just going to let Carrie leave Johnson alone?”

“I don’t like Johnson, sir,” Sloane admitted, lowering her voice. “She reminds me too much of…you know?”

“Nicholas Benjamin? The ex-husband of John McNamara from Dimensions 1 and 2?”

“Correct, sir.”

“I can definitely see the similarities. But I didn’t think Johnson had a sibling? Or any remaining family?”

“If only we knew more about him to figure out who she was. Her just appearing at PEIP with all confidential documents and a confirmation that she worked there at age 17 without an interview and no recommendations…I don’t trust it.”

“Me neither, but if Schaffer says she remains, then what Schaffer says goes, I’m afraid.” A scoff left his throat after he found the second link Sloane had sent through to him. “Thank you very much, Torres, I’ll be in contact when I have an answer about the wedding.”

“Thank you very much, sir.”

Micah smiled, clicking decline on the call before the smile dropped. He groaned tiredly, loading up both of the files, hearing the door creek open. He didn’t need to look up to know who it was, by the familiar touch of the hand on his shoulder and the soft kiss on his hair. Despite himself, the smile returned, sitting up straighter, looking behind him. “Mr Goldstein.”

“Mr Micah Icacks.” Gary sat himself up on the desk, watching as his boyfriend worked. “Find anything sciencey out?”

“Well, I found out that the ancient deity, Pokotho, is trans.”

Gary smiled at that, taking Micah’s hand. “How do you feel about that?”

“What? That even gods can be so fucking relatable? _Pretty_ good about myself, to be honest, babe. But _even_ so.” He turned to face him, showing him the files. “But he does have traces of The Apotheosis in his blood.”

“Again?”

“But he isn’t showing any signs of transforming. From when Paul became Tamed, he became infected the second spores began showing in his blood stream, but with Hidgens? That’s not what’s happening. He’s been showing several other signs that he’s going to become infected, like a bluer iris and a slight temperature, internal body heat dropping by a significant number of degrees, but he isn’t turning.”

“And what about the others?”

“The others? What, you mean Chad Carter? The only other member of who he’s claiming to be The Hatchetfield Six even though that doesn’t make any sense because of the fact that there’s already been an HF6 case and none of the members mentioned from his behalf are in our universe?”

“Maybe it’s worth asking him about who he believes to be The Hatchetfield Six, and see what can be done about it from there on out?” Gary asked, Micah pausing to contemplate his query, before turning around, facing the red-haired man sitting beside the brunette. “Carter?”

“Hmm?” Chad asked, his head shooting up from looking at his boyfriend, who was holding his hand weakly.

“I want an interview with you. With you _and_ your boyfriend.”

“Oh, uh…about what?”

“Take a guess, buddy.” Micah placed his laptop in his lap, looking up to Gary. “Sorry, sweetheart, but PEIP members only interview in action.”

“Got it, sir.” Gary smiled, pressing a kiss to Micah’s forehead. “I love you.”

“I love you too. Oh, and do you think you can ask Schaffer about Benny’s wedding later on? On behalf of Sloane Torres and-“

“Carolina Bates. I’m already on it.” Gary offered another smile before walking out the door, shutting it behind him.

This gave Micah the opportunity to turn back to the Hidgens family, rolling his chair closer to the bed. “So, Carter, give me all the information about your proclaimed ‘ _Hatchetfield Six’_ then.”

“Uh, okay, I’ve been put on the spot Henny heh- so um…basically…there were six of us that went missing. Henry was the first missing in 1973- _July 28_ 1973\. Then I went missing November 23rd 2000-“

“You went missing yourself? Do you mind telling me what it was like?” Micah asked, loading up a new document.

“All I remember is walking to work- I’m a PEIP agent myself, a Colonel. I worked at PEIP for quite some time. After Henry went missing, I assigned myself to a missing persons case. I know that Henry had gained quite a few enemies in the time that he’d been in Hatchetfield, but the evidence left behind was more alien plasma like instead of without a trace at all. A blue gooey substance that glowed under UV lighting.”

“Blue shit from The Apotheosis, I’m familiar. But what about you?”

“As I said, I was walking down the street and I started getting this pounding headache…I started going dizzy, so I sat on a bench for a couple minutes. I felt really…drowsy. That’s the only way it felt for me…and then I saw this yellow goat. Rotting flesh against stinking fur, bulging eyes and crooked horns, his tongue flopping out of his jaw. And…And he spoke to me.” Chad looked down to his hand, feeling Henry squeeze it softly. “Do you need me to tell you what he told me, or can I avoid that topic?”

“It would be best if you could tell me as much information you know as possible.” Micah explained gently. He watched the taller man take a deep breath, but he nodded.

* * *

_November 23 rd, 2000:_

_He opened his eyes, seeing nothing but black surrounding him. He wondered if he was dreaming, trapped in some hellish nightmare, until he heard a crackled, manic laugh filling the void, filling his ears, trapping itself in his brain. “I’ve been expecting you, Chaddy Boy.”_

_“What?” He asked, opening his green eyes, looking at the goat before him, tensing up. “Who are you?! What did you do with Henry?!”_

_“You mean **Pidgey?”** He laughed demonically, tipping his head back, his eyes jiggling around, almost as if they were unattached to the socket. “No, no no no. **That** wasn’t me, Chaddy! That was my widdle sister! But of course, Astraia is smarter than me. They know more than I do…but you’re a sMarT lITTle feLLa Aren’T yOu?” _

_“What? Who-who are you?!”_

_“You know me! I’m the Time Bastard!” He laughed again and plunged at Chad, pinning him to the bleeding floor of The Black and White. For a split second, Chad didn’t see the goat hanging over him. He saw a delicate looking man, dressed in a Victorian-styled yellow, iridescent suit with a frilled collar and a long blonde braid. His teal eyes pierced Chad’s but he dared not to look away._

* * *

“Then it felt like I’d just woken up from a massive sleep. The brightness cleared and I was holding Henry. I didn’t realise it had been 22 years since I went missing…and that thought scares me the most.”

Micah jotted this down immediately, typing it word for word with no hesitation. “Okay…do you mind telling me about the other members of The Hatchetfield Six?” He asked. To his relief, Chad nodded.

“So, Henry went missing first, July 28, 1973, then it was me, November 23rd, 2000. Then some guy called John McNamara went missing July 28th, 2018? We don’t know what happened there, I didn’t know the guy. Then Emma Perkins, December 16th, 2018, then Becky Barnes the day afterwards, December 17th, 2018. Alice Woodward was the sixth member, and she went missing July 28th, 2019.”

“Alright, thank you, sir.” Micah nodded at him, standing up. “Make sure Henry keeps drinking his fluids and keep him laying down if possible. He could get worse if he sits up for now. I need to go discuss this with my colleagues.”

“It’s…not a bad thing, is it, Doctor Icacks?” Chad asked, shifting nervously as if he was getting the people he knew best in trouble.

Micah laughed softly, shaking his head. “Goodness, no! If you think you’ve done something wrong, I can assure you that you haven’t.” He saluted to the colonel, walking out of the room.

* * *

Emma had been reassuring Kirk and Eric that something like that was bound to happen, and that her biology professor appearing as his 1970s self was certainly not really supposed to happen, but it also wasn’t the weirdest thing she’d had to endure. After all, three years ago, with the attack from Emdroid and Paul 23, she’d confessed to Paul that she’d originally been a member of a Hatchetfield Six group from another universe. Unlike _some_ people, however, she could hide her mark well, and had ensured Paul that she wasn’t any different than the Emma who’d passed away. It was luck she got the open spot and secured it as soon as she did. Thank god that it was her and not the monster that was the Emdroid.

Things had been normal one minute. She’d been figuring out where everything was in Xander’s old lab, placing it in the system so she could navigate herself around when Micah came bursting back through the doors, taking his hair out of the ponytail. He called the others over to the desk at the edge of the room. He looked serious; the feeling of uneasiness settled in her bones. She removed her lab coat, hanging it up, sitting at the table with Micah. Kirk, Eric and Paul taking their rightful places as well. Apparently, Micah had informed Schaffer about the information he’d discovered as well. So, when Schaffer walked into the room, the meeting began.

Micah placed his laptop in front of him, reading off his notes, handing out appropriate notebooks to those who wanted one. “So, I made a discovery with Henry Hidgens today after a brief interview with his significant other as a recommendation by my boyfriend, hell bless him.”

“And taking from the urgency of the call I got on the other end of the line while I was typing up an email to you, Doctor Icacks, about how to transport Quinn, Carolina and Sloane over here for Benny’s wedding later on today, I take it this is very valuable information?” The general asked.

A smile filled Micah’s face, clicking his fingers at her. “That is correct.” He cracked his knuckles, sitting up straighter in his chair. “I found traces of BL-U3 merging, or attaching itself, to the haemoglobin in Hidgens’ blood.”

“That’s impossible. Pokotho hasn’t had access to Henry?” Nathaniel asked him, and Micah nodded.

“Yeah, my thoughts exactly. So, I did a little bit of digging on Henry’s files from other universes. It’s either the very same Henry Hidgens that’s turned up in the lab, which is unlikely, but he tried to attack a Duchess Lucy Stockworth, murdering Jonathan Brisby, all while getting Theodore Spankoffski to pose as The Hatchetfield Ape Man. He was also violently murdered by two of his ‘college’ friends AKA my Uncle Greg and Stuart Lee in Dimension 1: The Apotheosis. There are no signs he has come into contact with Pokotho in this universe at all.”

“So how has he gotten BL-U3 in his blood?” Paul questioned, running a hand through his hair, scratching at his scalp.

“Okay- oh yeah, I’m getting off track a little but it’s kinda useful? Pokotho _isn’t_ a new God. He’s just transgender. I love him.”

“Micah, he has killed multiple people with a meteor that caused an infectious spore to take root in their minds, transforming them to some sort of musical zombie. _How_ can you love him?” Schaffer asked, and Micah shrugged.

“I don’t know. I’m glad to know I’m not the only trans God in history.”

A soft gasp burst from around the room from Nathaniel, who’s eyes were widened. “You’re trans?”

Micah snorted, laughing. “Oh, _fuck_ yeah. I started on T when I was 17, got kicked out because I was gay and trans. Started a shift at Beanies where they didn’t give a fuck if I turned up wearing comfort clothes- ask Louisiana. We used to work together. That’s where I met the love of my life, Gary Goldstein.”

“Why are we talking about me?” Gary asked as he walked in the room, taking his seat beside Micah and Emma.

“He’s trans!?” Nathaniel asked, flabbergasted.

“Well…yeah. What’s so special about it?” Gary asked him, furrowing his eyebrows.

“Boys! We can discuss this later!” Schaffer told them all, slamming her hand down on the table, bringing them back to the point of attention.

“Right, yes, sorry, ma’am.” Micah passed Paul a notebook, watching how he became restless so he could take his own notes or doodle. It became something Micah had noticed about the man since working at PEIP with him. “So, Chad has given pretty intricate detail about there being another set of Hatchetfield 6’s, and one of the victims is sitting in this room.”

Emma nodded, sighing. “Yep. I am a member of The Hatchetfield Six from another dimension. I was Wiggly’s Tamed.”

Kirk’s eyes widened so hard his eyes looked like they’d pop out of his head. “And you just _drop_ this on us, Emma?!” He asked her, and she shrugged.

“I told Paul like…3 years ago?”

“Yeah, but I didn’t really believe you. It’s kinda whack.” He said, humming casually as he doodled on the notebook.

“So this is important. Because from what I know about the BL-U3 it is _highly_ contagious, and once a droplet or a spore enters your body, you’re dead. Henry Hidgens’ spore count compared to his blood is currently about 0.5/1000 which doesn’t seem like a lot but taking into consideration about how large Henry’s body is and how much of what he needs…that’s quite a lot. And he isn’t showing _any_ symptoms of being infected in any manner whatsoever. No blue goop being puked out his nose or his mouth. Quite simply, his internal body temperature has dropped a little, he has a temperature, and his eyes are a brighter blue.”

“So, what does this mean…?” Kirk asked, finally coming back to the meeting after the revelation.

“It’s a fairly simple conclusion, Nathaniel. Henry Hidgens is Pokotho’s Tamed. Chad told me in detail that he was attacked by T’Noy Karaxis and currently, he has been showing no signs, except we don’t know the full extent as to how Spankoffski was affected either. Besides that, Chadwick Carter-Hidgens is T’Noy Karaxis’ Tamed. As well as this, Emma Matthews nee Perkins has clarified that she is Wiggog Y’Wrath’s Tamed. That leaves three others to investigate…well, two we can investigate fully.”

“What do you mean, Michael?” Schaffer asked, writing down everything he was telling her to ensure she got an accurate result from what she was being told.

“So…the three other remaining members of this specific group of Hatchetfield 6 are…Rebecca Barnes, Alice Woodward and….”

“And who?” Schaffer pushed, resulting in Micah sighing heavily.

“John McNamara.” That caused everyone to look up at him as if he was insane, but Micah shook his head, clarifying what he said. “Henry Hidgens went missing July 28th, 1973, 45 years prior to The Apotheosis. Chadwick Carter, November 23rd, 2000, 18 years prior to Black Friday in Dimension 2. John McNamara went missing July 28th, 2018 which makes sense considering he was infected during The Apotheosis. Emma Matthews went missing December 16th, 2018, which as far as we’re concerned has no current relevance to anything of major consequence with Becky Barnes vanishing the day after.”

“December 16th was the day I came back from Guatamala after getting stuck in Clivesdale. It was the day that Emdroid killed me- well, the _original_ me in this dimension. December 17 was Jane’s funeral, so Becky must have been going to it. Or…or attempting to it and she got…I don’t know, Paul what’s the worst outcome to a situation you can get?”

“Murdered in a forest?” He asked, and Emma nodded.

“Or something shitty like murdered in a forest while trying to get to Jane’s funeral.”

“Okay.” Micah nodded, continuing. “Alice Woodward went missing July 28th, 2019. Three people went missing on the same date, just years apart from each other, specifically on the date of The Apotheosis. Carter went missing before Black Friday, and Emma and Becky went missing because of Jane Perkins’ death.”

“Right, so how _did_ Hidgens and Chad appear in the house two days ago?” Schaffer questioned further, to which Emma raised her hand.

“I’ve been studying this! So there were three different coloured lightning bolts during the span of the storms. One yellow, one blue, one purple correlating to The Lords In Black’s colour. Tinky was yellow, Pokey was blue and Blinky was purple. There _was_ no pink or green because me and Becky are already alive. And John, by process of elimination, must be Webby’s Tamed, and he’s safe with Xander, so what’s the need for him to come to Hatchetfield when he already has the thing he wants?”

“Correct.” Micah nodded. “To add on to Matthews’ discovery, I did backtracking on Hidgens’ record and discovered he was struck by a bolt of lightning in his senior year of high school. Pokotho must have gained enough power to cause a lightning strike so strong that it not only revived Henry Hidgens, but implanting his DNA into Hidgens’ bloodstream, which is why the BL-U3 is there to begin with, and in the process, implemented control over Henry once again.”

“So we’re fucked?” Kirk questioned again.

Micah shook his head at Kirk. “Not necessarily, but we do need to organise blood tests for remaining members. And if my theory is right…Alice Woodward will be here as well.” Micah told Schaffer. “So, we need Alice Woodward and Becky Barnes under this roof. Why I said we can’t fully examine the sixth person is because…is because he’s still dead, basically.”

“My…” Paul interrupted, clearing his throat, little doodles of spider webs and small books on his paper, as well as some little stick figure drawings of a man and a woman holding hands, presumably him and Emma. “My buddy Bill…that’s Alice’s dad, I can give him a ring if that helps?”

“That would be great, Paul.” Schaffer nodded politely, looking back to her team as Emma spoke up.

“Becky’s dating my brother-in-law, I’m fairly sure. While Paul’s ringing Bill, I can try and get into contact with him? I won’t make any promises because he’s basically a scrooge all year round, but I can try.”

“And that’d be great as well, Emma.” Watching the plan fade into place, Schaffer smiled wide. “Without a doubt, Xander had the equipment for blood tests and extra space for blank files somewhere in this room. I will ensure that Rebecca Barnes and Alice Woodward are caught up to date with everything going on, and we will provide the necessities needed for them to feel comfortable. I will also send Carolina, Sloane and Quinn the details on how to get here. But remember, be there by 3 PM this afternoon. I _hope_ that you will not be missing the wedding of my mentor.”

“We wouldn’t miss it for the world,” Emma told her, smiling gently, as Schaffer saluted, leaving the room to return to her duties.

The room was silent once more, each processing the information, until Nathaniel broke the silence once more.

“I’m sorry, I can’t get over the fact that you’re _trans_ and you didn’t tell me, asshole!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh my god wedding wedding wedding (dw i know what im doign i just need to rewrite the entire plan because not eben i abide by my own rules)
> 
> anyways!! trans micah!!! trans micah and trans pokey and some very smart peips!!


	4. Can't Wait To Meet You...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> song title from Join Us For A Bite by JT Music and yes u can shut up:
> 
> summary rlly quick bcs nightmare time starts in 4 minutes: lesbians, science, wedding, black and white

She remembered going to Watcher World, and then, nothing else. Her father had been so excited to take her. She’d been excited to spend time with her father. She’d always wanted her father to gain full custody over her. She didn’t want to have to feel like she had to choose where she wanted to live anymore, especially considering she was borderline an adult. She wanted to stay in Hatchetfield with Deb, with her Uncle Paul, with her _dad._ But the stupid fucking court had ruled her unable to live with her dad for more than one week a month. That hurt.

She hadn’t _really_ wanted to go to Watcher World. She didn’t want to go to an amusement park in _Hatchetfield_ of all places. Sure, Hatchetfield wasn’t the worst place to be in the world, but it was cheap and rickety. She hadn’t doubted that Watcher World would be exactly the same as the rest of the island – crap. But it hadn’t been _that_ bad, she noticed, looking back on it. It hadn’t been that bad at all. Maybe she just convinced herself it had been because she didn’t want to accept the truth.

They’d gone to Watcher World, he’d accidentally dropped her phone from the top of the TearJerker, and she’d gotten mad about it. He hadn’t meant to drop her phone and he offered to buy her a new one, so why had she gotten so worked up about it to begin with? It was hard to recall the exact events. She just knew she’d been given a gun and then, she came into contact with a man. Maybe he _was_ a man at some point, but since being in contact with whatever ‘ _The Black and White’_ was…

The last thing she remembered was hearing her dad scream at her as she felt a pair of pawed hands snatch at her. They pinned her down on to the floor of the mirror maze. She thrashed, and she screamed, but nobody heard. Nobody came for her. She heard five sickening laughs fill her head. Her entire body felt as if it were filled with water as she slowly succumbed to what would be her fate. She’d been scared and alone, regretting ever saying yes to going to Watcher World to begin with. Why couldn’t she have just said no? Why couldn’t she have just said _no?!_

_Why didn’t I say no?_

* * *

July 30th 2022\. 3 years and 2 days since Alice was snatched from his hands. He watched Blinky scoop up his daughter, his paternal instincts kicking in at once. He took the shotgun she dropped, aiming it directly at the bright yellow eyeball. Three shots sent him to his maker. Relieved, he’d laughed it out, but when he opened his eyes after his breathing calmed, Alice hadn’t been there. She’d just…vanished. He’d pleaded for help with he HFPD, asking them to open up a missing persons report or at least look into what Watcher World was. They refused.

He’d tried to tell his coworkers what had happened. They called him crazy. They said ‘ _you’ve had too much coffee’_ or _‘have you been sleeping enough?’_ That had been everyone except Paul. Him and Paul had been friends for years at that point. It made perfect sense that he became Alice’s godfather when she was born, and he took to his duty well. So when he’d told Paul about what happened, he’d had a certain softness in his eyes unlike everyone else, but he still recommended going to the doctors. But Bill knew Paul was hiding something from him.

He decided not to speak about Alice again if he could help it. People around Hatchetfield were forgetting she existed. That scared him. Old friends, old family members, they forgot about her. Her _mother_ forgot about her. He began to panic, thinking he truly was going insane, that Alice hadn’t existed to begin with and he’d dreamt an entire 18 year period where he had a daughter…

Until he received a message from a Deborah Rutherford asking if they could talk about Alice.

Usually, under any other circumstance, he’d have said no. He wouldn’t have let himself go near Alice’s girlfriend. His daughter deserved so much better than a stoner, low life girl who was moving to _Amsterdam_ for college who had the worst friends Bill had ever seen. But she remembered who Alice was. Just the idea that someone else, even if it _was_ Deb, had remembered Alice…his mind was instantly put at rest. He wasn’t alone anymore, or not alone as he thought he’d been before. He’d talk with Deb, see what she had to say, and see where he could go from there. Maybe, out of some miracle, Deb knew where she was. Maybe.

July 30th, 2022\. Deborah Rutherford had managed to drive to Bill’s place amongst the abnormal storm that Hatchetfield had been experiencing, making it there safely. She parked, Bill rushing her inside to ensure she didn’t get hurt. He may not like Deb, but he would never want her hurt. He sat her down on the couch, offered her a drink (which she declined) and they started to speak. They spoke about Alice, about the abnormality that they’d both been experiencing in the past three years…about everything.

Bill got to know Deb a little better. By her body mannerisms, by her saddened laugh when she recalled her and Alice’s teenage years. He learnt that Deb was surprisingly smart, and how she won her own scholarship for her college in Amsterdam due to a piece she did of her and Alice to begin with. Despite himself, he found himself forgiving Deb in a silent matter. He could tell she’d loved his daughter, and he just had to get past the whole ‘stoner’ aspect to realise that. There hadn’t been any need for her to hate her like he had. She hadn’t done anything wrong. She hadn’t done anything wrong at all. She’d just been in love.

Then a louder clap of thunder sounded above the house. A loud crackle and a bang came from the bedroom upstairs, _Alice’s_ room. They both shared a look, one that confirmed they were thinking the same thing, before bolting up the stairs. Deb, being younger, had been the first one to reach the room. She swung the door open, seeing Alice Woodward on the floor. Her heart jolted. She ran inside immediately, sitting on her knees, taking Alice’s hands. “Ally?” She asked softly, gaining the attention of her girlfriend, her girlfriend who she had missed _so_ much.

Alice looked up, her dark hair falling in front of her face. She looked at Deb, her breathing still unsteady. She was dazed, having felt like she’d just woken up from being in a deep sleep. How long had it been? Deb’s face looked a little rounder, her eyes a little sharper, her hair a little longer. She seemed…older. “What? Where-where am I?”

“You’re at your dad’s house, sweetie.” Deb explained, brushing Alice’s hair out of the way. “You’re shaking. Dammit, Mr Woodward? Can you grab her a glass of water?!” Deb called out the door, wrapping her arm around Alice, hoisting her up as she stood. She sat Alice back down on the bed, wrapping her in a blanket that looked untouched. 3 years. 3 years, and she still looked 18. She was still so _so_ gorgeous.

“Dad?” Alice asked, wrapping the blanket around her shoulders, leaning into Deb, processing that she wasn’t alone anymore. “He- he’s here too?! He-“

“He’s okay. Don’t worry about _anything_ alright?” Though she was confused as to how Alice had just appeared in the house, Deb was more grateful to have Alice back with her. She looked safe, unharmed. _Thank God._

“What-what’s the date?” Alice stuttered out, shuddering against the cold of the day that she hadn’t experienced for so long, _so long._

“It’s…” Deb sighed softly, wrapping her arms around Alice, hugging her gently. “You went missing July 28th 2019, the day you and your dad went to Watcher World. Ally…it’s the 30th July 2022. You’ve been missing for 3 years.” She felt Alice shake harder against her. Deb held her slightly tighter, pulling her out of the hug, cupping her cheek. “You-you’re panicking! Uh, no that’s not a good thing, fuck, uh- hey? Hey Ally? It’s okay. We’re gonna find out why you went missing. How we’re gonna do that, I don’t know, but we are. I promise, you’re okay.” She watched as Alice took in the form of her face, relaxing, calming down. Deb smiled gently and hugged her again. “I promise. It’s okay.”

Bill heard the two talking, smiling softly as he watched Deb able to calm Alice down so quickly. He was about to walk into the room with a glass of water for his daughter when his phone rang. His heart jumped, but then he noticed it was his buddy, Paul, and he relaxed himself. He placed the cup of water on the bookshelf on the hallway outside her door, picking up. “Hey Paul, what’s up?” He asked, smiling softly, looking out the window, furrowing his eyebrows at the clear sky.

_“Hi, Bill. Uh, can I ask you a weird question?”_

“Go for it.” He chuckled, leaning against the wall.

_“Uh, so during the storm, did Alice magically reappear in your house?”_

Bill felt his heart plummet slightly. How did he know about that? How did he see that as possible. “Yeah…yeah she did. She’s in her room with her girlfriend now-“

_“Okay. I need you to drive her, yourself and Deb to this location. We know why she went missing. It’s a long story. I’ll see you in twenty, okay?”_

Before Bill could reply, Paul had hung up the phone without hesitation. Bill offered a long sigh before turning back to Deb and Alice. “Uncle Paul wants us to go somewhere- shit, sorry, I mean my buddy, Paul. He needs us to go somewhere. They have answers, apparently. And he wants us there…like now.” He said. With a little help from Deb, he managed to get Alice downstairs and into the car calmly. He really hoped that whatever Paul had been planning was worth the spontaneous trip to this place he’d never been in before.

* * *

As the team started to scatter to their places, Emma heading to the examining room where they’d draw blood and ensure she was safe, Micah groaned, placing his head on the table, refusing to look at Kirk. He didn’t understand why the revelation about his gender was such a big deal to him. He was still Micah no matter what anybody said. He’d always be the lesser known brother of one of Hatchetfield’s biggest heartthrobs. Nobody cared about him. He didn’t consider himself as special, and nobody else should either.

 _“Yes,_ Kirk, I am transgender. Why is this so important to you?” He asked, raising his head slightly, looking at the doctor beside him, who’s eyes were still wide.

“You told me I knew everything about you, asshole!”

“You do. That my name is Michael Icacks, I am like…40 years old?”

“Your traumatic backstory came from your gender identity, didn’t it?” Kirk asked, quirking an eyebrow, and Micah sighed.

“Of course it did. Do you _care_ to know about it? Is it really that relevant for you?”

“Yes. Of course.”

Micah rolled his eyes, sitting up, leaning against Gary’s shoulder. “I was born a girl in January. Soon realised I hated being a girl. My parents also hated the fact they had a daughter. I failed in school, which was another reason for me to be hated. When I was around 11, I started labelling myself as gay but then realised I only had an attraction to men. I then got very confused. So I decided I was transgender around when I was 15? I saved up most of the money I got for birthdays, Christmases, other events and such, to start buying testosterone. My parents found out I’d started T, I got kicked out. Rented a small apartment with the little leftover money I had, baring in mind it was from a really sketchy person for really sketchy prices. I started working at Beanies and went to see my brother, who didn’t realise he had a younger brother, and asked to join PEIP. He denied me because ‘it was for my safety.’ Dickhead.”

“Agreed.” Gary said, taking a sip of coffee, placing a smile on Micah’s face.

“I went back to Beanies where I met this asshole. He paid for my surgeries. Cheated on me with Linda Monroe. We broke up for the best part of 12 years, and now we’re back together again. In that time I kept working at Beanies until John got in contact, and then I became a PEIP doctor. So fuck you, Gareth!”

“Well, at least you’re happy now, Micah.” Nathaniel smiled politely, standing. “Eric, honey, I gotta go do my doctor thing. You gonna come with me?”

“I can do if you want me there?” Eric took Nathaniel’s hand, Micah cutting the two off.

“Gary’s not good with blood. None of the Matthews family are.”

“Why is it ‘The Matthews Family’, Micah? We aren’t _just_ Matthews! We’re Moore, Goldstein-“ Gary argued. Micah scoffed in return.

“Hush. We all know Paul is the better relative of yours.” Micah kissed Gary’s forehead and stood up, grabbing his lab coat. “So, Eric, I believe it’s best you stay here with your-“

“Cousin,” Gary and Eric both said in sync, their voices displeased.

Micah smiled wider at that. “Good. Nathaniel?”

“On my way.” Nathaniel nodded at Micah, leaning down to give Eric a kiss. “I’ll be back soon. I love you.”

“I love you too, Natty.” Eric told him before letting go, allowing Nathaniel and Micah to start their journey upstairs.

Micah, while walking, turned to Nathaniel, who seemed almost tense. He raised an eyebrow, unable to resist a laugh. “ _Natty?!”_

“Don’t!” Nathaniel nudged him sharply in the side, getting very defensive about the nickname. “It was a high school thing.”

While Micah and Nathaniel walked upstairs, Emma had been sat in, what Schaffer was calling ‘the temporary medbay’, where Hidgens was being treated. Schaffer had found another couple of portable beds in there, placing those and a few chairs for those who wouldn’t get a bed in the room. Wherever the hell Xander had been storing portable chairs, she had no idea. He was a weird man, Xander was. Admirable, yes, particularly for every scientific breakthrough he encountered, but he also did a lot of weird shit. Like storing portable medical beds in his house for no reason.

Emma had wanted to help with the blood work, wanted to prove her test as a good scientist, but after Paul became stubborn, she crossed her arms and sat down on the chair, waiting for everyone else. Five beds, five members of The Tamed. Five out of six members of The Hatchetfield Six to be found, five of which supposedly the second generation of evil. Aside from the first follower of Wiggly herself, Willabella Muckwab, the Hatchetfield Six where she came from were seen as threats. To blend in in this universe wasn’t usual. It was the opposite.

Kirk and Icacks were to extract blood at three different times like they did with Hidgens in hourly gaps. Luckily for _them_ they would still be able to attend Benny’s wedding after the procedure was complete. She had other things to worry about rather than a wedding, however. The return of the droids, the deities she’d been warned about for so long that everyone had laughed at, calling her stupid and insane. How The Scarred were youthful, how The Hosts were more powerful than they recognised.

If she didn’t stop them in time, the world was gonna end.

She must have zoned out, because Paul nudged her arm and looked at her concerned, his eyebrows slightly furrowed. She told him she was okay. That was all she could do. But, on the inside, she was planning, scheming if you will. If nobody was going to listen to the facts that the universe were providing her with, then what was she supposed to do? She wasn’t even a _part_ of their reality, none of them were! Yet, they didn’t care. They were concerned about the health of others, yes, but they didn’t understand the dangerous nature of crossing dimensions. She had to hide it. She couldn’t let the secret leak.

Micah and Nathaniel walked in the room, making small conversation beside themselves. Micah gestured to Kirk to start setting everything up, which he did, as Micah began to explain the process to everyone else. “Alright, so what’s going to happen is you have all been named as members of The Hatchetfield Six. Not the ones we’re aware of, but a group of HF6 members nonetheless. The consequences seem slightly more extreme with you guys, so here’s what’s gonna happen. For the next three hours, you guys will have blood work and your temperatures taken. We will also be taking pictures of your eyes, monitoring your behaviour and the likes of everything else just to ensure everything runs smoothly. Your loved ones are downstairs in the late Xander Lee’s lab. They will also be informed about what’s happening.”

None of the patients spoke, which meant, to Micah and Kirk, they could begin. Chad was sat on a chair beside Henry with Henry still on the hospital bed. Becky Barnes lay on a bed beside them, Tom Houston beside her, Tim with Benny and Kian. Alice Woodward was on the bed second from the right, Bill holding her hand tightly, reassuring her that she’d be okay, with Emma sitting on a chair, Paul still by her side. Of course he wouldn’t leave her side. She’d be foolish to even think he would. And, with the stillness remaining untouched, the process began.

** Under Personal View of: Dr. M.Icacks & Dr. N.Kirk: **

**Subject One: July 28 1973: Professor Henry Hidgens:**

**Observed By: Dr. Micah Icacks**

**12:00 AM:** Distinct blueness to the eyes, streaks of grey, narrowed pupil. Brown hair with greying streaks. Pale skin, though acquaintances tell he is naturally pale. Greyish tinge to the lips and fingernails. Blood count: 1.2/100. Blood shade, still a deep purple around the chest. The blood around the brain and stomach is still _red._ Sweating quite drastically, though he still has a fever.

 **01:00 PM:** Slept for half an hour, woke up four minutes ago. Grey eyes, even greyer tinge to the skin, tint to the lips has now gone. Hair remains the same. Blood count: 1.4/100, but the blood has returned back to red. Scans show no abnormalities.

 **02:00PM:** Hair becomes greyer, flatter, less curl to it. Eyes have returned to a soft grey as described by s/o (see Ex-Colonel Chadwick Carter-Hidgens on database). Blood count has dropped to 0.4/100, body temperature has returned to normal, but remains sweating, though not as much as he was an hour ago.

**Subject Two: November 23 rd 2000: Ex-Colonel Chadwick Carter-Hidgens:**

**Observed By: Dr. Micah Icacks**

**12:00 AM:** Teal eyes though not the teal described by Spankoffski under approaching T’Noy Karaxis. Naturally red hair in a darker shade, almost brunette. Slightly tanned, but sickly, skin. Bloodshot eyes, dark bags under eyes. Spores have been found in the blood stream much like they were with his s/o (see Professor Henry Hidgens on database.) They take shape like a triangle. Currently, there are around 0.001/1000 which is a good sign. Very calm, no malicious intent

 **01:00 PM:** Remained watching over Henry throughout the hourly period. The blood is a rich red, his eyes are slightly less bloodshot, has no fever or any other symptoms. Pupils are a tad bit wider than they were before, though that was expected. Blood count: 0.001/1000

 **02:00 PM:** Gained a small temperature, though that was because the room was too hot. Started sweating, eyes became a darker shade of teal though no change in behaviour. Blood count: 0.001/1000

**Subject Three: July 28 th 2019: General John McNamara:**

**[** disclosed **]**

**Subject Four: December 16 th 2018: Colonel Emma ~~Matthews~~ Perkins:**

**Observed By: Dr N. Kirk**

**12:00 AM:** Calm but quiet. She seems like she’s hiding something we’re not aware of. Refused to talk to anyone aside from her s/o (Lieut. Paul Matthews.) Reluctant to offer her arm for blood test, though information from s/o revealed she didn’t particularly enjoy needles. Tanned skin, normal temperature for external and internal body use. Little to no concern. A wild blood count of around 90/100 spore wise. Has admitted that she has been around since 2018 and didn’t see herself as a big deal. Blood: a brown colour. Spores look like a small crescent.

 **01:00 PM:** Remained quiet. Administered a cure to try and get the spore count down. Once given vaccination, started sweating profusely, drank six bottles of water, not once needing to go to the bathroom in that time period either. Under the Tamed of Wiggog Y’Wrath (Alias: Tickle-Me Wiggly on the database) and him being ‘an underwater creature from out of this world’ it isn’t a surprise her internal organs have been adjusted to hold more water than before. Spore count: 88/100, blood has a slightly green tinge to it.

 **02:00 PM:** Reacted even worse to the second dosage of the vaccination. s/o had to be escorted out the room, had to be moved to the other side of the room away from the others. Temperature spiked backwards, sweating continued. Is now extremely cold to the touch, pupils are wider. We can only assume that the body is reacting this way because it hasn’t come into contact with the cure before, and it has thrived from spores for so long. Without them, the body is now struggling to thrive alone.

**Subject Five: December 17 th 2018: Rebecca “Becky” Barnes:**

**Observed By: Dr M.Icacks**

**12:00 AM:** Was willing to offer her arm for blood count, described her detail in full. Confirmed what everyone else had said – felt as if they’d woken up from a deep sleep. Had no idea she wasn’t alone in her situation. Blood is a pinkish colour, though nothing of concern. Spore count: 2/1000. Very awake, very bright and cheery, willing to engage in conversation. Spores took form or a circle, a very pink circle – Nat if u see this plz expand I cba  
**_Nathaniel Kirk (2:04 PM):_** it was a pink circle

 **01:00 PM:** Opened up a little about where she was when she woke from her ‘sleep.’ Claimed she saw a pink monster-like creature with a wide smile telling her she’d be granted everything she desired if she worked for it. (Nibblenephim). Claimed there was another figure standing behind the pink monster, a man with thick black hair and a hoodie of sorts – couldn’t get a good image of her. Blood: red, spore count: 2/1000

 **02:00 PM:** Is actually responding very well to the medication being given. Isn’t refusing anything. Has been the only one to consume a large meal. Acting as if a normal human with no consequence whatsoever. Blood: a normal red. Spore count: 1/1000.

**Subject Six: July 28 th 2019: Alice Woodward:**

**Observation By: Dr. N. Kirk.**

**12:00 AM:** Was jittery upon arrival. I assured her s/o (Deborah Rutherford – not yet on the database because she doesn’t work at PEIP and hasn’t been involved in a case before) that she would be okay. We hooked her up to an IV to get some fluid in her. Her father (Bill Woodward – file doesn’t exist yet but will do by the end of the week after interviews are complete) said that when she went missing, she had platinum blonde hair. Now, her hair is back to her normal colour of brunette. This can only be assumed that The Black and White doesn’t like blonde people, or that the darkness has the ability to stain successfully. Her blood is dark, similar to Emma’s as a brown colour. The spores take form as a purple wing-shape. Her spore count is currently 5/100. Refused medication.

 **01:00 PM:** Relaxed a little further. Was talking to her dad, though teary and emotional. Accepted the first dose of the medication needed to save her. Reacted well. Pupils dilated slightly, started shaking for the first twenty minutes but she was just cold from being exposed to John and Xander’s extremely cold house. Offered her a hot water bottle to which she took gratefully. Eyes are still of normal colour – brown, and her blood is reducing in colour with a reddish tint back to it. Spore count: 5/100.

 **02:00 PM:** Allowed her to see her s/o during this time period. She calmed even further. Her heart rate lowered successfully which is what we wanted. Gave her a bit of sugar with the second dose of the vaccine while the others were being given their third. It was enough to get her to start sweating a little bit. Removed the hot water bottle and gave her a cold flannel to place on her forehead. Complained slightly of a minor migraine. We were unable to move her to another room, but I gave her my sunglasses for her to wear. Her s/o has taken many photos for ‘memories and definitely not personal benefit.’ Blood colour: red, spore count: 4/100.

** File Closed. **

* * *

A knock at the door was enough to stabilise Benny’s thoughts momentarily, especially when he saw Sloane and Carolina burst in. They both tackled him in a hug, throwing the suits at Kian, ignoring his protests to keep them pristine. He was getting married in an hour. An hour, and Kian would be a Slate. George was stressing as well, helping Schaffer and Ruth get the room where they’d be getting married in set up exactly how they wanted it to go. Lou was getting changed herself, and hopefully, things all went according to plan.

Kian shouted at Carolina and Sloane to get off of him, and they sniggered, apologising in a very sarcastic manner. Kian told him that he’d take the two of them off of his hands, leading them to where the ceremony would occur. Benny’s heart was pounding, still extremely nervous that something was going to go wrong, until Lou came by his side, placing her hand on his forearm, like she used to do back in their early days at PEIP.

“Nervous, old man?” She asked, looking up at him.

He chuckled, nodding. “I don’t know, Lou…I got a bad feeling about this.”

“Ben, you’re saying that because you’re nervous. I know you didn’t exactly want to get married, well, here, but due to the storms, it’s the safest place.”

“Y’know? I’m kinda glad I get t’marry him here. It holds nostalgia.”

“Yeah…” She nodded, crossing her arms against her chest. “Thank you for letting me be your Maid Of Honour, by the way.”

“Hey. You’re my best friend, aren’t ya? We made a pact.”

“I didn’t think you’d _remember_ it.”

“Embarrassed that you didn’t?”

“Of course I am. And that, Benjamin Slate, will be the only time I admit that I’m wrong.” She laughed again, taking Benny’s suit from where it was hung up on the door from where Kian had put it up to protect it from getting damaged. “One more hour until you become a never-again single man?”

Benny smiled then, wrapping his arms around Lou. “I love ya. I really do.”

“I love you too, buddy. Now lets go get you ready before Ruth starts nagging at us.” She pulled away, smiling, guiding him to where she’d been told to take him by Schaffer.

A younger girl, one of the younger PEIP agents, who wore her hair in a thick black braid with piercing green eyes, stood at the door, rolling her eyes. Love meant nothing. Love was stupid. It was pathetic. You didn’t need to love to survive. You didn’t need to love another agent to survive at all. Yet, everyone seemed to think that. This wedding was going to suck, and she knew it. She always knew it.

“Fucking weddings…” she grumbled. “Love takes everythin’ away and gives ya nothin’ but divorce.”

“Ain’t that right?” A voice spoke from in front of her. All of a sudden, the lights from where she was standing turned off, and time stopped, freezing. She looked up, and in front of her was nothing, just a dark, empty pit. That, and a man. A man who was crouching down with blood stains on his jacket, slicked back red hair, a triple-denim outfit with dog tags. He smiled, his jaw crooked, as he raised himself off of the ground, practically towering over her. “How y’doin’ there, Quinny?”

“How- how do you know my name?” She stumbled, crossing her arms against her chest, backing up, only to hit something soft. She felt a pair of hands on her shoulders, making her jump. She pulled out of the grasp, spinning around to look at the person who’d held her. Tall, black hair, piercing green eyes wearing a leather jacket and jeans…”Who are you?” She asked, suddenly getting louder.

The other man laughed, dragging his feet to stand by his companion, smirking. “Y’know who we are really. But…if y’wanna play the stubborn game…” he pointed to himself. “Colonel Wilbur Cross, and this is my associate, ex-colonel Nicholas Benjamin Johnson.”

“That’s ridiculous.” Quinn laughed, looking at him. “Right?”

“Course it ain’t.” Nick shrugged, smiling wide at her. He crouched in front of her. “And I’m your brother, but of course…you wouldn’t know that. But open your heart, Quinn. Let us guide you. We will give you _everything_ you want…so waddaya say?” He watched her contemplate it, watched as she took his hand. He looked up to Wilbur, giving him the nod. He placed his hands against her temples, holding her firmly. _“You belong to Nibblenephim. You belong to **us.** ”_


	5. It Was Forever And Always, You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter summary:  
> benjamin slate misses his mother and father, quinn johnson up to some sketchy shit and paul matthews becomes self aware

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uh oh: it's a wedding and if we learned absolutely nothing from the paulkins wedding from sypf and the mcnamander wedding in tahs, well, let me remind you:
> 
> paulkins: paul died at his own wedding after he got The Apotheosis  
> mcnamander: wilbur cross came back to life, leaked Xander's secret, and xander hydrogen bombed the entire reality. 
> 
> if that's your first time seeing those two pieces of information then i am very very sorry. 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNINGS: murder, blood  
> CONTENT WARNINGS: romance, metaphors- u know i should take my job more seriously shouldn't i?
> 
> also if it isn't obvious: title: Forever and Always - Robert Manion, Mariah Rose Faith

Benny heard what was going on with the others around the precinct and the consequences it could possibly have, especially concerning himself and Kian. The Black and White was back in full action even _after_ Paul jumped in there. He came out, telling everyone that The Lords In Black were dead and wouldn’t be able to harm another soul. Now, he found himself sitting down, asking himself if Paul had lied, but even if he had…who’d lie about something that could, and already had, put so many lives at stake?

What would happen if one of them latched on to him? Or Kian? Or Poppy, or George, or- or _Lou?!_ What was he going to be able to do? He’d lost Elliot because of some horrible disease, and in a way, everyone he knew today _was_ because of Elliot. _His_ Elliot…he ran his fingers through his hair, guilt plummeting to his stomach. He was supposed to be marrying Elliot was his soulmate…but he was dead. Was it fair to replace him with the person he’d fallen out with? Would Elliot be okay with it? He laughed to himself. Only _he’d_ be able to worry about a dead person’s opinions 5 years on from his death.

He buttoned up his shirt, thinking about where his future lay. Getting married at 22, having a kid at 17…it didn’t _exactly_ follow the plan he’d lay out for himself, but joining the military wasn’t exactly a part of it either and he wouldn’t change it for the world. But marriage…it scared him. Not even _George_ was married yet, and it should have always been George before him. It had _always_ been George before him. He knew that George was proud of him for breaking tradition…but he wasn’t quite sure.

He sat back down again, imminently stressed. A thought crossed his mind, one that made his heart skip a beat. _Would his parents be there with him?_ They’d died…11 years ago at that point. George always told everyone that the two of them died when Benny was only young, but it wasn’t true at all, George just refused to believe in a concept of time. They’d both been in high school when it happened, their worlds being flipped upside down. Yet, his parents had always told him he’d be at the wedding whether they were dying or dead. He hoped it was true.

His father would have cried harder than his mother would have. His dad, William Slate…he was Benny’s biggest fan. He’d always go the extra mile for him and George. When Benny came out to his dad in the middle of the grocery store in the middle of June, his dad had dropped the basket he was holding and hugged him tightly, telling him he loved him so much and nothing could ever change that. That had been a week before the accident…well, they called it an accident.

His mother would have also cried, but out of laughter. She always saw every opportunity as a party. Agatha, her name was. She was a geek, introducing George and Benny to sci-fi franchises, enforcing them to watch several different movies with her. It never really stuck with George, but the entire thing stuck with Benny. He liked Marvel particularly and enjoyed the universe. He knew his mother would have cried harder than anything at Infinity War, and even harder at Endgame. He also knew that, if his mother found out what the word meant, she’d ‘kin’ Wanda Maximoff. That was his mom, and no matter what, he loved her.

He couldn’t forget coming home from school, kicking off his beat-up sneakers, the smell of homemade cookies drifting in from their small kitchen, his father’s voice dancing into the living room. His mother would always greet him with the biggest smile and a kiss on the forehead before telling him to go and shout his dad, to tell him that dinner was ready. He couldn’t forget the game days they used to have, the movie nights.

He also couldn’t forget the feeling he had when George told him they were murdered.

Since that day, George became his legal guardian. They had no grandparents, no aunts, no uncles, no other relatives. It was just themselves. Benny couldn’t face going to school at that time. He couldn’t face anything. The idea that his parents were just _gone_ shook him hard to the core. He wasn’t sure what he was supposed to do anymore. All the plans he and his parents had made were gone. But he and George came on to a joint agreement that, if they were ever to speak of the murder, it was merely an ‘accident’. The worst part about it? All the signs were there that they’d _been_ murdered…but aside from that in sight, there was no further evidence leading to they’d been murdered at all.

He grumbled and shook his head, standing back up, grabbing his belt, threading it on to his trousers to keep it in place. After his grieving had ended, though it never really did, he began to research and research. He stumbled upon PEIP unintentionally, digging deep into the internet. It was a report, a report of a Mr Gareth Icacks, discussing the case of his family. Many words stood out to him, many such as _‘deity_ ’ and ‘ _harmless.’_ His parents had been harmless, though he’d known that.

From then, he’d clicked on the link at the bottom of the report which bought him to a very bland looking web page. He’d gotten the location and sent an email asking if they knew anything else about his parents. He spent the next few years exchanging conversations with several different agents, when finally, he hit 17, and he was offered a job. He snatched the opportunity, vowing to not let his parents’ memory die. He’d find out the truth. He didn’t _have_ to, but some necessary closure would be helpful to both him and George.

He stood in front of a mirror, adding the final touches to his outfit. A white button up against black pants. He finished tying the tie, running his hands through his curly hair, hoping to keep the curls as tame as he possible could. He wondered, directing his thoughts away from his parents, how Kian was gonna look at the end of aisle. He could cry just thinking about it. The man he was going to marry in just a few minutes…how beautiful he was going to look… It was extremely hard to keep his nerves in check. He never thought he’d be getting married so _young…_ but he wouldn’t have it any other way. Of course he wouldn’t.

Behind him, as he continued to prepare himself for his big moment, he heard the soft click of short heels against the tiles of the McNamara household, the soft ruffle of fabric from behind him. He felt a tap on his arm, and when he turned, Lou was smiling up at him. “Your blazer, dumbass,” she told him. His eyes widened slightly considering that he had forgotten, nodding thankfully as he slipped into it. He heard her tut, moving in front of him, fixing him up in any way she pleased. She’d always had the better taste in fashion so he didn’t doubt she knew what she was doing. “So this is it. Am I supposed to give you a pep talk or something?”

Benny laughed, though it was light. He was holding back tears, and he knew if he spoke too loudly, he’d start crying before he even stepped foot on the aisle. He shook his head, scratching his nose with his thumb, looking at her. “Leave it to George…” He sat down on the chair beside him, facing away from the mirror. “I’m so scared.”

Lou looked at him, hesitating as she constructed the right reply in her head. Once coming to the conclusion, she sat beside him in the empty chair, placing her hand on his shoulder, rubbing gentle circles into the fabric. She crossed one leg over the other, looking at him. “I’m gonna be a mom in five months’ time. Welcome to my world.” She felt him laugh beneath her touch which made her smile. “You’re second guessing, hey?” She asked, wrapping her arm around his shoulder. “Yeah, ya see, I know Kian, okay? And I know for a fact that Kian’s gonna take good care of you, Ben. And if he doesn’t…legally I’m a McNamara now. I _will_ shoot him down on sight. I will not hesitate. He hurts you; he is dead.”

“Lou, I appreciate the act, but I also have enough trauma on my back already. I’d rather, if the marriage doesn’t work out, that we part peacefully, and no murder is involved.” Benny sniffled, wiping his eyes. He turned to face Lou, taking a deep breath. His best friend had always been beautiful, but in a dress, she made the entire room light up. It was a dark purple, very mature styled dress with a black belt, a rose being the clasp for it. She wore lace tights, the pattern being that of roses as well, with short black heels with a silver buckle. She smiled at him, and he couldn’t help but tear up. They weren’t kids anymore.

She looked into his eyes, keeping her hand on his shoulder. “You look fine.” She smiled again before checking her watch, looking up at him. “Mr Slate, it’s 3 o’clock. Are you ready to get married?”

“Nope, but when’s a better time?” Benny asked, resisting a sob. He stood up with Lou’s assistance, and with her guide, walked out to where George was waiting with Poppy. Lou let go of Benny, heading to Poppy, making sure she was ready, so George could take over doing his big brother duties.

George turned to his younger brother, his eyes widening. He couldn’t _not_ admit that he was proud of him in that moment. He’d found a guy who’d treat him well, he was raising his daughter extremely well, and he landed himself a job where he didn’t have to hide anymore. And there he was, in a suit and tie, looking more grown up than he ever had. Benny must have been thinking the same thing as he was, for he ran into his arms, allowing him to hug him tightly. George could hardly talk, knowing he’d cry if he spoke too loudly, and he knew it was the same for Benny. “Dad’d be so proud of you, Ben. And mom.”

“You’re an asshole,” Benny told him, though his voice started shaking. He squeezed his eyes shut, burying into his brother’s shoulder. “Now you got me cryin, and I ain’t even got down t’aisle…”

“Is Kian gonna care?” He asked, looking down to him, smiling softly when Benny shook his head. He moved away slightly, brushing the tears off of his brother’s face. “How about we walk you down that aisle and give you away to Mr White. I’d hate for you to be late at your own wedding.”

Benny laughed softly, nodding, linking his arm with George’s. “Thank you…for walking me down…”

George smiled, nudging his brother in the side. “I wouldn’t have it any other way, Bene. You know that. After all, I’d hate for mom and dad to watch over us and _not_ see me being the brother they always wanted me to be.” He watched as Lou took her position with Poppy in front of them. She gave Benny a wink, Benny flipping her off, as she pushed the door open.

Benny wished he could have remembered how everyone else looked, what the music sounded like, but all he could see was Kian. He held his breath from the minute George let go of his arm. He never once took his eyes off of him. He’d really shaped up. Dressed in what appeared to be a shade of purple or blue, he still looked as incredible as he had any other time.

They said their vows, officiated and confirmed by General Schaffer. Benny was a mess at the end of it, his entire face red, his smile crooked. Then they kissed, and Benny heard the cheers behind him. He felt Kian holding him tightly, his hand on his cheek, his lips against his own. When they pulled away, Benny was immediately pulled against his husband’s chest, and amongst the cheering, he heard him whisper if he was okay. Benny nodded, wiping his eyes, clinging on to Kian’s suit when he heard another voice.

_“That’s our boy, Billy.”_

Benny’s head snapped away from Kian’s chest, looking to the back of the room where he saw them, he _saw them!_ His father, as tall as he’d always been, his smile brightening the entire room dressed in a white shirt with blue plaid over the top, his sleeves rolled up. His mother stood, her arm wrapped around her husband’s waist with the widest grin on her face. She wore a navy-blue knitted jumper over a white shirt, a black skirt fitting her ensemble. Her black hair was straightened, just as long as Benny could remember it being. She wore her locket on her chest that glimmered against the light. She waved at him.

Benny waved back, unable to catch his breath, he leaned against Kian’s chest. Kian, reasonably confused, looked down at his husband, laughing softly. “Who on earth are you waving to, baby?”

Benny sniffled, wiping his eyes, drawing in a tight breath. “Momma…” He thought that, if he blinked, that they’d vanish. That was what usually happened, but he blinked, and he kept blinking, and they remained.

“Are you okay?” Kian repeated, Benny nodding.

“They kept their promise…” He caught George’s eye, gesturing to the back of the room, where George looked as well. He must have seen his parents as well, and they must have seen him, because his mother waved at him as well. When George turned back, looking straight into his eyes, he knew he wasn’t going insane.

_Whether we’re healthy, dead or deader than dead, we’ll be at your weddings, kids. Don’t second guess us._

* * *

They went through to the other room afterwards where food was served. They sat at the top of the room with Lou by his side as maid of honour, Ruth beside hers. George was sat nearby as well. He tried to divert his mind from what he’d seen at the top of the aisle but failed. He’d heard so many stories, that if they were ghosts, they’d vanish with the blink of an eye, or they’d have just been a figment of his imagination. George had seen them too. That was evidence he got that he hadn’t been going insane on his wedding day. They’d both seen their deceased parents, and they’d seen them too.

He hadn’t been able to stop thinking about it, his mind pounding with the realisation. When he was eating his food, he was thinking about his parents. When he was walking around, collecting gifts off of some of the agents, he was thinking about his parents. Talking to people, his mind was on his parents. Everywhere he went, his parents were on his mind. Surely, it wasn’t healthy?

_Not quite, Buddy._

Benny’s eyes widened, freezing at the side of the room in a way it looked like he was still watching his family dancing on the makeshift dancefloor. That voice…where had he heard that voice before? “What?”

_Not quite… **healthy.**_

“Who…who are you?!” Benny asked, scouring the room, his breath picking up slightly, though he felt an invisible hand press down on his shoulders, grounding him. His breathing returned to normal. “What?” He asked softly, hearing a soft laugh in the back of his head.

_Not quite healthy, not too smart either._

The laugh loudened. Benny flinched. He scratched the back of his neck, feeling fur against his hand. He shuddered, pulling away from the wall, catching a glimpse of pink. He found himself dizzy, having to blink to calm his eyesight.

_Scared?_

Benny slapped the back of his neck to ground himself, trying to keep breathing. He didn’t want a panic attack on his wedding day. He didn’t want anything to happen to him on his wedding day at all. He swallowed thickly, focusing on the dancefloor.

_Ah, come on. It’s your wedding and you’re not even gonna go dance?_

“You’re- you’re right…” Benny said, swallowing again, resisting a cough. He could see Kian smiling, dancing with Poppy on his hip, beckoning him over. He put on a strong face, but the sensation of water trickling on him stopped him in his tracks. The reason? There wasn’t a water leak, and it was heading in the direction of his head, shooting up from the floor. He blinked, shrugging the feeling away, heading to the dancefloor…but he caught her eyes.

A twenty-year-old girl harnessing the energy of million-year-old deities, her hair now with pink streaks in it, her entire body dimmed pink. Yet, despite this, she opened her eyes, and they were a brilliant green.

_“You know too much.”_

That was her voice, the voice of Quinn Johnson…in his head…he went to look away, but as he did so, he felt himself choke on his breath. His blinking flickered, the feeling of claws around his brain causing an antagonising pain that stopped him in his track. He began to shake, drawing attention to himself, though he couldn’t help it. He coughed, a trickle of something dripping to the floor.

_Red._

He didn’t get to hear, or see, the aftermath. All he remembered was Kian pushing people out of the way as another furry set of pink arms grabbed his shoulders, forcing him backwards, a green set of tentacles latching themselves to his hair, the laugh of a goat in the corner of his mind. He, losing consciousness rapidly, heard Kian shouting for a medic. He felt two cold fingers against his neck and another soft voice filled his head, one calmer than the first.

_Go to sleep, Benny._

So, he did.

* * *

Paul returned from the bathroom, choosing to only drink water that night. He had to be there for Emma. She’d seemed so unfazed by the fact that her body was leeching off of that of Wiggog Y’Wrath’s to keep living. She simply hadn’t cared. He’d laughed softly at her antics, squeezing her hand softly, kissing her knuckles. He stayed with her until Micah was restraining him out the door…

But he wasn’t just gonna miss Benny’s wedding.

He and Emma weren’t ready for a family of their own, and that was completely fine in his eyes. If they never ended up having kids, he quite frankly wouldn’t care. He got to marry _the_ most beautiful woman who understood every stim, every quirk he had, not bothering him for himself. She’d sit and listen to his hyperfixations for hours on end, sometimes taking notes on them so she could invest in conversations. She respected how he couldn’t eat certain things, making him his own separate meals when it came to it…

Still, he had an emotional attachment to Benny Slate.

Ever since the first day he’d met him properly when he helped him move into his office, they grew closer. Benny trusted him enough to open up to him and discovering that Benny had gotten involved in PEIP to discover what really happened to his mom and dad made him respectable to Paul. He loved the kid and figured that he deserved the entire world. After finding out that Benny’s mom had been a huge marvel fan, Paul took the opportunity to fill in all the gaps, watching films with Benny, catching him up on the entire universe.

He loved to watch Benny grow into the person he became. Benny, seeing Schaffer as his number one guide, turned to Paul for moral support instead of work. When days got work, sometimes Benny would collapse on his and Emma’s couch. Neither of them questioned it anymore. On days like that, Paul would sit down with him and ask him if he wanted to talk. If he shook his head, he’d put on a movie. When _Wandavision_ had come out originally, they both watched that together, Paul treasuring every moment Benny had on his bad days because his reactions were genuine, vivid.

He was genuine, vivid.

So, when Benny collapsed out of nowhere, Paul knew something wasn’t right. After all, he’d been victim to the same sort of thing at his own wedding way back when. The Apotheosis had attacked his lungs and he’d died on the dance floor. He wasn’t letting Benny go through the same thing he did. He watched as everyone crowded around the boy, the lights flickering on to see a small pool of blood by Benny’s face. Paul listened to what George was saying, how Benny was drowning…though it was impossible unless…

He turned to see Quinn walking over, bright green eyes fading. In that moment, his thoughts had been confirmed. Benjamin Slate had fallen victim to The Black and White for no reason apart from the fact that he wanted to get married. Considering nobody knew what to do, the room becoming a quick frenzy, Paul took a deep breath. He’d always hated drawing attention to himself, always hated how he was the main character in his own story. Why couldn’t he be the background character with a third of a second of screen time instead of three books? It made no sense! But this was for Ben, not for him.

“Get him to the hospital wing.”

Kian, shaking, looked at Paul, holding Benny against his chest while George tried to keep his brother alone. “What?”

“Get him to the hospital wing and inform Nathaniel Kirk and Michael Icacks that this is something to do with The Lords In Black.”

“How do you know for definite, Paul?!” Kian pleaded with him, desperate for answers.

Paul scrunched his nose up, pointing to the door behind him. “Because I died at my own wedding due to Pokotho _many_ many dimensions ago, and I will _not_ allow that to happen to Kian. Alice Woodward isn’t in good shape and neither is my wife. If they aren’t in good shape, and Benny’s drowning, then there’s one solution. Drowsy Town.”

Kian’s eyes widened. He told George to follow him as he scooped Benny into his arms, getting off the floor, running out of the room. Lou followed with Poppy in her arms, Lillia following George out as George ensured those who needed to go had to go. Schaffer stepped forward, radio in hand, listening to nothing but static. “Lieutenant Matthews.”

“Ma’am, please, do I have permission to go and do something that could be really really stupid?”

“It depends…”

“Firstly, Quinn Johnson is under the influence of one of The Lords In Black. I can see green eyes so I’m thinking she’s hosting Wiggog Y’Wrath, but if you notice, her jacket wasn’t that pink before so also possibly Nibblenephim.”

“And then?” She asked, clicking a button on her radio.

“I’m going back to PEIP and going to talk to John.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> anyways i am also very distraught and i am watching rocky horror tomorow with friends so it's going tovibe anyway wandavision spoilers because oh my god so yes uh, agatha is named after,,,someone, and william is named after the fact wanda called one of her kids billy but aside from that my granddad who is dead as of 4 years this june 19th was also called william. uh, they're not bad people. will say that now. guess who is a bad person,??? quinn fucking johnson. anyways, what;s paul gonna do? drop ur theory in the comment section or scream at me in my instagram bios, i have five accounts it's a treasure hunt to see which one u can find first/j/j i'll only reply to the message about the book on robertstanion don't be fucking creepy
> 
> and also i am hella aware of what is going on and yes someojne is going to dramatcially fall down some stairs while john and xander play ches while babysitting some puppy gods that got loose next chapter omg spoilers well oh well, i am joking i don't know what's happening next chapter because i didn't follow my own rules, once again. rules suck. abolish the monarchy. 
> 
> wandavision spoiler here: it was agatha all along, *casually throws myself at a wall and breaks my neck but it was worth it because the hottest baddies are always the baddiest baddies*


	6. I'm At The Start Of A Pretty Big Downer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> in sympathetic terms: the sypf crew have a very shitty fan. 
> 
> Summary: Kian Slate gets Concerned, Louisiana McNamara goes feral, Micah Icacks can't file reports sensibly and Nathaniel Kirk's reports can be published into a 300 page book, Paul Matthews acts a little sus but takes his job very well, The White welcomes a new member...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: a lot of references to blood, to drowning, a mild mention of a seizure
> 
> song title: Sword Of Damocles - Rocky Horror

Kian, with Benny in his arms, sprinted up the stairs directly to the hospital ward…or the _makeshift_ hospital ward. The one day he should have known something was going to go wrong was the one where he chose to relax. In training, he was always taught to never slip up, to keep your guard all at once. Why did he ignore that? If he hadn’t let himself slip, Benny wouldn’t be in the position he was in. Benny could die, and what was going to be left of him if that happened? He couldn’t let that happen.

He burst through the doors, panting harshly as he looked at the two doctors, both of them working to set up another bed for Benny, away from everyone else. Micah clicked his fingers. It was a silent demand to get Benny on the bed. Kian nodded, lying his husband down, sitting beside him, words jumbling out as a silent prayer that he’d make it out with little to no harm. He knew, though, that that was going to be extremely unlikely. He took Benny’s hand, kissing the soft skin on top of his knuckles, tears flowing freely from his eyes.

He whispered his name, unable to do much more. The entire situation happened so fast. He’d been dancing with Poppy, messing around with Lou and Carolina on the dancefloor, Carolina borderline tipsy, when he’d spun around and seen Benny’s eyes roll back into his head, his body fold in two. He rushed over, setting Poppy on the floor, skidding across the carpet to catch him. Then he started bleeding, and he started panicking. When George announced he was showing signs of drowning, Kian knew it couldn’t be anything good, though he wasn’t exactly a smart agent. He wasn’t one to understand.

He watched Micah and Kirk scurry around the unconscious figure of his new husband, at the same time, watching as Benny coughed up another bout of blood. It spilled down his chin, dripping on to his chest. Kian was advised quickly to remove Benny of his clothes on his upper half, to which he unbuttoned Benny’s shirt, slipping him out of his blazer. This hadn’t been what he’d meant when he told Benny he wanted to get him undressed on their wedding day. But he couldn’t let his mind slip from the path of thought he was having that would save Benny.

Benny was injected with something that Kian got told was going to extract the fluids he was choking on, reduce the blood in his airways. The others in the room were attached to IVs but nothing more. He couldn’t look at them. Was it wrong to say it was jealous of _their_ state? What a cruel thing to say. He couldn’t help it. He wanted his baby to wake up, to see those beautiful blue eyes he got to see every morning, every night, to see the smile that often accompanied them. What if he never got to see them again? What if Benny never woke up?!

He sobbed harshly; his throat now raw from the amount of pain he’d been going through in the past few minutes. He felt an arm wrap around his shoulders, holding him gently. He heard the crackling voice of Benny’s brother telling him that Benny was strong, that he’d make it out okay…he wasn’t completely certain about that. He squeezed Benny’s hand, praying he’d get a squeeze back, or spark something in Benny that’d enable him to wake up. This wasn’t fair. He deserved _nothing_. He deserved nothing _but_ to be at home, happy, with those who loved him the most.

Kian watched as a tube was inserted down Benny’s throat, and he had to look away when he saw the red liquid that was being transported out of it. He watched as Benny shuddered violently, with every shake of his shoulders more blood being coughed up. He heard the word ‘seizure’ and ‘coma’ knocked around by the doctors. His mind became a flash of a red flag. He stood up, telling them both if they even _thought_ about putting Benny in a coma, he would ensure they were both dead by the end of the day. He was swiftly escorted from the room, where he waited downstairs on the couch with the others.

Nobody was talking to each other anymore. Decorations were being taken down, music had stopped, things were being moved back to their original position. Once everyone had been escorted out of the room and to more appropriate areas, Lou locked the room up. The one thing he’d wanted was to make this day memorable; it was now a day he’d want to forget forever. He wouldn’t be able to think back to today without crying, he was sure of it.

He heard a whisper from beside him, noticing a sharp pain in the back of his head. He turned his head, wiping his eyes, to see the newbie, Quinn, with bright green eyes, looking at the door. She was whispering something that sounded much like an incantation, though his time with PEIP had taught him what to listen out for. The names were all too familiar to him, an unfriendly reminder that pulsated around his entire body, mixing with adrenaline. And hence, when she looked at him, he turned away.

She pulled out a syringe from her pocket filled with a clear liquid. Spores of all colours danced around each other inside of it, forming shapes. If he knew any better, he’d have taken the mysterious liquid…if it had been offered. She uncapped the syringe, holding it high above her head, only to be wrestled to the ground by Louisiana, who, upon seeing the weapon that the younger agent had been holding instantly recognised the threat. She dodged every single attempt Quinn made at injecting her with the substance, but instead, Lou came out successful, having her hands wrapped around the agent’s neck in a vicious attempt to leave her damaged.

She got off like it was nothing, telling the other agents to get Quinn out of her sight. They obeyed. Lou took her seat between Kian and Ruth, not speaking, processing what had happened herself. She could get fired for it, technically…but as long as it was her and not Benny.

_As long as Benny was safe._

* * *

** Case Opened: **

**Subject One: July 28 th, 1973: Hidgens, Henry (Professor) – M.I**

**Subject Two: November 23 rd, 2000: Carter-Hidgens, Chad (Colonel) – M.I**

**Subject Three: July 28 th, 2018: McNamara, Jonathan (General) - /**

**Subject Four: December 16 th, 2018: Matthews, Emma (Colonel) – N.K**

**Subject Five: December 17 th, 2018: Barnes, Rebecca (Nurse) – M.I**

**Subject Six: July 28 th, 2019: Woodward, Alice – N.K**

**Subject Seven: July 30 th, 2022: Slate, Benjamin (Major) – N.K**

** Subject One: Professor Henry Hidgens: **

**Observed By: Doctor Michael Icacks**

**Name:** Henry Hidgens

 **Date Of Birth:** August 19th, 1955

 **Date Reported Missing:** July 28th, 1973

 **Age (At Time Of Missing Report):** 18

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 66

** Necessities: **

**Hair Colour:** Brunette, curled. At time of report: brunette with streaks of grey

 **Eye Colour:** Blue, though can vary between hazel and grey

 **Physical Symptoms:** Blue slime dripping from the eyes, nose and mouth but no signs of singing or rhythm. Aging appears imminent

 **Medical History:** PEIP database reveals (#s1) was stricken by a bolt of lightning back in ’69 (ironic lmao)  
(Edit: Micah this is Kirk, behave)  
( _Edit_ edit: stfu dumb bitch)

 **Family:** Harold Hidgens (Father, deceased), Warren Hidgens (Mother, deceased), Antonio Green (Younger brother, 40), Chadwick Carter-Hidgens (Husband, 67), Oliver Hidgens (Son, 22: no i don’t know how he’s alive either), Ethan Green (Nephew, 23), Emma Matthews (35, relation not listed, and bloodwork confirms no direct relation though he _insists)_

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** Pokotho

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 1 (Love), Dimension 3 (Rebellion), Dimension 3.2 (Game)

 **Identifiable By:** A large lightning shaped scar on his upper back, has a lot of scars but the lightning one is essential

* * *

** Subject Two: Colonel Chadwick Carter-Hidgens: **

**Observed By: Doctor Michael Icacks**

**Name:** Chadwick “Chad” Harris Carter-Hidgens

 **Date of Birth:** 2nd May 1955

 **Date Reported Missing:** November 23rd, 2000

 **Age (At Time Of Missing Report):** 45

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 67

** Necessities: **

**Hair Colour:** Reddish brown

 **Eye Colour:** Teal, though greener than that of T’Noy Karaxis

 **Physical Symptoms:** Nothing aside from a recent spike in anxiety

 **Medical History:** Nothing visible to note of rather than the typical PEIP injury back during his term

 **Family:** Henry Hidgens (Husband, 66), Antonio Hidgens (Brother-in-law, 40) Oliver Hidgens (Son, 22: no i _still;_ don’t know how he’s alive either), Ethan Green (Nephew, 23)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** T’Noy Karaxis

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 4 (Game)

 **Identifiable By:** Uniquely coloured eyes, a large scar that’s on his left shoulder that essentially spells out _H.H_

* * *

** Subject Three: General Jonathan McNamara **

**Observed By: The Black and White**

**Name:** Jonathan “John” Myles McNamara

 **Date of Birth:** May 12th, 1983

 **Date Reported Missing:** July 28th, 2018

 **Age (At Time Of Missing Report):** 35

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 38

** Necessities: **

**Hair Colour:** Blonde

 **Eye Colour:** Reported to be a steely-blue

**Physical Symptoms:**

**Medical History:** Oh gosh where to start, infected with the Apotheosis, has been shot more times than necessary, has died more times than necessary, got stabbed by former mentor (see Col. Wilbur Cross in database) in The Black and White – it’s listed on the database if it’s _that_ important but I will not sit here and list injuries that occurred when I wasn’t even here

 **Family:** Colonel Wilbur Albert Cross (Father/Mentor, deceased), Lieutenant Alexander James Lee, (Husband, 38), Michael Icacks (Cousin, 46), Gareth Icacks (Cousin/Mentor, 66), Samuel Lowery (Cousin, 37), Andrew Kilgore (N/A), Ken Davidson (Uncle, 50), Lieutenant Louisiana McNamara (Adopted Daughter, 23)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** Webby

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 1 (Love), Dimension 2 (Death), Dimension 3 (Rebellion), Dimension 3.2 (Game), Dimension 3.2.1 (Relief)

 **Identifiable By:** Scar from right eyebrow that goes down the right side of the face to the upper right hand corner of the lip. Grey streak through the blue of the iris, a faint white line through the pupil.

* * *

** Subject Two: Emma Matthews (nee Perkins): **

**Observed By: Doctor Nathaniel Kirk**

**Name:** Emma *has refused to give us her middle name* Matthews

 **Date Of Birth:** April 2nd, 1986

 **Date Reported Missing:** December 16th, 2018*

 **Age (At Time Of Missing Report):** 32

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 35

** Necessities: **

**Hair Colour:** Brunette

 **Eye Colour:** Brown

 **Physical Symptoms:** Has a large scar on the inner right side of her thigh from a shrapnel incident from Dimension One.

 ***Medical History:** So, when she was supposed to go missing, she was on a bus in Guatamala escaping her boyfriend who bought up the idea of marriage. A clone of Emma was on the bus, fiddled with the brakes and sent the bus off the cliffside killing everyone on aboard in an attempt to replace Emma’s position. So, the android (see _Emdroid_ on the database) failed, clearly, due to the fact that Emma came back from Guatamala, beat the _shit_ out of her android counterpart, got her passport and credentials back in her possession before heading to Hatchetfield for her sister (see Jane Perkins on the database)’s funeral. She was involved in a helicopter crash in dimension one, but aside from that, she refuses to speak about her history. We can gather from information she has a traumatic history in her childhood era.

 **Family:** Mr Perkins (N/A), Mrs Perkins (N/A), Jane Perkins (Sister, Deceased), Paul Matthews (Husband, 35), Thomas Houston (Brother-in-law, 43), Tim Houston (Nephew, 12)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** Wiggog Y’Wrath

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 1 (Love), Dimension 2 (Death), Dimension 3 (Rebellion), Dimension 3.2 (Game), Dimension 3.2.1 (Relief)

 **Identifiable By:** The scar on her leg

* * *

** Subject Five: Nurse Rebecca Barnes: **

**Observed By: Doctor Michael Icacks**

**Name:** Rebecca “Becky” Kimberly Barnes

 **Date Of Birth:** September 28, 1978

 **Date Reported Missing:** December 17th, 2018*

 **Age (At Time Of Missing Report):** 39

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 42

** Necessities: **

**Hair Colour:** Long, naturally red, hair

 **Eye Colour:** A mix between green and blue

 **Physical Symptoms:** She has begun to show no signs of being an inhabitant of a member of The Lords In Black. She is, in fact, more than happy to comply with the procedures done e.g., extracting blood, hourly physical checks

 **Medical History:** Was in an abusive relationship for 15 years with Stanley *surname unidentified*. She also never went missing. I also don’t know why she went missing. That fuckign sucks. Wow I wish I was a god so I would get a higher pay because I’d know everything- wait fuck these documents are permanent- eh john’d love it lmaoooo

 **Family:** Thomas Houston (Boyfriend, 43)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** Nibblenephim

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 2 (Death)

 **Identifiable By:** Red hair, a small scar on her neck

* * *

** Subject Six: Alice Woodward **

**Observed By: Doctor Nathaniel Kirk**

**Name:** Alice Pauline Woodward

 **Date Of Birth:** July 4th, 2001

 **Date Reported Missing:** July 28th, 2019

 **Age (At Time Of Missing Report):** 18

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 21

** Necessities: **

**Hair Colour:** Brunette, faded blonde undertones, similarly to General Gareth Icacks (see the database for reference)

 **Eye Colour:** Hazel

 **Physical Symptoms:** Dehydration, rise in panic attacks, purple blood, wider eyes, a purple tint to the iris, a wider pupil, confusion, complaints of headaches

 **Medical History:** Was infected in Dimension One, but aside from that, nada

 **Family:** William Woodward (Father, 35), Mother (35, Unknown), Deborah Rutherford (Girlfriend, 22)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** Bliklotep

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 1 (Love)

 **Identifiable By:** should always have her phone on her, but if not, usually always wears a dark lipstick or an eyeliner with a small wing, has faint freckles on her right temple and a mole on her left temple.

* * *

** Subject Seven: Major Benjamin Slate **

**Observed By: Doctor Michael Icacks/Doctor Nathaniel Kirk/George Slate – EMT/Paramedic**

**Name:** Benjamin Robert Slate

 **Date Of Birth:** October 4th, 2000

**Date Reported Missing: /**

**Age (At Time Of Missing Report): /**

**Age (In Modern Times):** 22

** Necessities: **

**Hair Colour:** Brunette

 **Eye Colour: GREEN AND GREY AND BLUE AND RED AND ORANGE AND-  
**(Edit: Michael for the love of god-)  
Correct Answer: Brown

 **Physical Symptoms:** Seizing up, particularly around the chest and shoulder areas. Coughing up blood a _lot._ His brother (George Slate – EMT/Paramedic) has associated his symptoms with the likeliness of drowning even though he was at his wedding before collapsing. Struggling to breathe, unable to open eyes, heartbeat as normal as it possibly can be for someone of his state, veins enlarged.

 **Medical History:** Nothing much more than small scrapes and bruises from being a kid (confirmed by George)

 **Family:** William Slate (Father, deceased), Agatha Slate (Mother, deceased), George Slate (Brother, 26), Poppy Slate (daughter, 5), Kian Slate (Husband, 22), Elliot Peterson (Ex, father to Poppy, deceased), Louisiana McNamara (Soulmate (platonic), 22)

**Tamed/Scared/Host: _To Be Confirmed (the likeliness is that he is, in fact, the scarred)_**

**Associate:** /

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 3.2 (Game), Dimension 4 (Shenanigans)

 **Identifiable By:** Smile, eyes, scars (see photo attached)

** File Closed **

* * *

Paul rushed out to his car, strapping himself in, starting the drive back over to HQ. He knew something was going to happen. He could understand Kian feeling guilty about not being able to protect Benny from the circumstance, when, in reality, it was all down to Paul. Since John’s murder, and Xander’s soul being transmitted to The Black and White, he was placed in charge of ensuring no funny business came from the portal _or_ from the realm itself. He was the second person to _ever_ receive the official title that he had. ‘Paul Matthews: Guardian Of The Aligned.’ The first? Wilbur Albert Cross.

PEIP swore that they’d fixed the mistakes that occurred with Wilbur, but Paul knew they’d lied. A cover up, of sorts, though he refused to bring it up at meetings. He found himself, when around the portal, more relaxed than he used to, like it was his second home. There was something in there that was keeping him safe, feeding him the correct information, though who was he to know what it was?

Stepping foot into The Black and White, to reunite Xander and John, had been one of the scariest things he’d _ever_ have to do. It was nowhere as scary as raising his hand in class to share an answer as a guess, or bringing up some miscalculated information working for CCRP. He absolutely _loved_ his job at CCRP. He loved the simplicity of filing things, writing down articles based on movies (and musicals if it came to it) because he _loved_ to analyse things. He’d do it unintentionally with Benny during one of their movie nights or watching a silent movie with Emma. He loved to pull things apart to see how they worked. Everything was fascinating to Paul Matthews.

Maybe that was what made him so good at his job at PEIP to begin with. Maybe, nobody else would have been as good as guarding the entrance to an alternate realm, the rip in time and the fabric of the universe. Maybe he was the only one who _fully_ got a grasp on how The Black and White worked and what it’s intentions were. He could never come to a full conclusion _why_ he earned the title, yet he could come to the conclusion that Coven Communications Research and Power had affiliations with Paranormal Extra-terrestrial Interdimensional Phenomena in either the past, present of future. Maybe that made him a target.

He’d looked into the face of the universe and stared it right in the eyes. He’d seen things nobody else would _ever_ have to see. If he was going to be the one to see the negative outcomes of dimensions and realities, then let it be him. It was all written in code, a code so complicated that it took a special mind to depict, and that special mind was his own. He’d seen the universes where he didn’t make it out, where Emma didn’t make it out, and they no longer fazed him.

Nothing did anymore.

The precinct was quiet, empty. Good. Everyone was _finally_ obeying the rules that Schaffer had set into place. Nobody was to move; nobody was to leave the safe bay until it was confirmed that the portal was out of action. That would be Paul’s job to confirm it…but would it? Finally, he had the entire precinct in his grasp. He could toy with them however he wanted, order them around. He was finally becoming recognised as someone important and _not_ just someone to be used as a plot point, or in a total of three minutes screen times. Background characters were important too.

He opened up the files, looking at what was going on, watching as the doctors back at Lou’s place typed up the report in real time. He wrote down the important information, deciding what to do from there on out. He’d suit up, go in The Black and White and put an end to those bastards…but he’d already done that. He needed a different approach, a different strategy. He needed…he needed those who’d faced the six before.

Not necessarily The Hatchetfield Six, but those from dimensions where they faced the wrath of the deities. Whether it be Pokotho, Bliklotep, T’Noy Karaxis, Nibblenephim, Wiggog Y’Wrath or Wesbynbth, it was inevitable they wanted revenge. A quick set of emails sent out, and an alarmingly quick number of replies led to five minutes later, a group of seven standing before him. He didn’t know if he was _allowed_ to do this, but quite frankly, he didn’t care. _Especially_ if he was one of the most trusted people in the precinct, surely, he’d be allowed to let this one slip. The universe _did_ favour the beautiful, and it certainly favoured the book.

And so, when his temporary team arrived at the precinct, strolling into his office, he handed him the correct attire aside for one who stood there, green eyes glowing proudly. He went over the briefing with them all, ensuring that they knew exactly what was happening and what to do in the event of the emergency. They needed a _lot_ more people outside of The Black and White rather in it. They needed a couple on computers, and then those on standby in case they needed to stop the mission completely and get everyone out of there if things turned dirty.

They’d have to see.

The team nodded, waiting for further instructions. Paul had to take into full account that not all of these people were apart of PEIP and, aside from the exposure they’d _had_ to the gods, knew nothing else about the realm they were heading into. This meant entirely that he had to be careful what he said and what he did. He’d use his own power for the end of it if he had to, but _only_ if he had to. He hid what he had, and he hid it well. He would _not_ let them hurt him again.

“Are you even allowed to do this, Matthews? Schaffer’s gonna flip shit if she finds out.” Louisiana asked, pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

“Look, I don’t know either. She did give me permission to go _into_ The Black and White and to construct a small team, but I think she meant a small team of PEIP agents and _not_ pedestrians.”

“Glad to know I’m counted as a pedestrian, Paul!” One of the other teens beamed wide, fiddling with the clasp on his glove. “Cuz, ya see, I can’t fuckin’ wait to get back in there and punch the _FUCK_ outta that grimy bastard!”

“Ethan! Language!” His father, Tony, scolded, nudging him, but Ethan ignored him, crossing his arms, proud.

“Pops, I ain’t bein’ funny or nothin’ but I was stuck there. For quite some time. And ya know, the guy in there? Yeah, he’s my best friend. I love him. He’s so cool.” Ethan continued, running his hands through his hair. “The only reason I don’t work here is because I have _spicy_ trauma!” He smiled again, earning an eye roll from the girl next to him. “Oh, come on, babe, that was _funny.”_

“Whatever your interpretation of funny is, Ethan.” Lex sighed, setting herself up at the desk that Paul was gesturing for her to go to. “So basically, your life is in my hands, Ethan Green. I could let you die.”

“Yay!” He said, earning an exasperated gasp from his dad, causing Ethan to laugh. “Ah, get a job, dad. Uncle Henry would’ve laughed.”

“Henry Hidgens is being treated as a Tamed member of The Lords In Black. He renders unconscious,” Paul told them, making Ethan shrug.

“Eh. He’d laugh anyway.” Ethan clasped his jacket back up, looking into the portal, wincing. “ _Freaky deaky…”_

“Ethan, what the fuck?!” Lex asked him, spinning around on the chair. “What the _fuck_ is ‘freaky deaky’?!”

“Well, I ain’t actually _seen_ the portal, ya know! I went missin’, and then all of a sudden, I almost saw my dad die, and then BANG! Ain’t that right, Holloway?!”

Holloway turned from where she was sitting, nodding, loading up the tracker on the screen. He watched as dots flittered on and off the screen against the radar. She sighed, running a hand through her red hair, putting on a smile towards the others. “So, me, Hannah, Tony, Lex and Duke are gonna stay _out_ of the portal while Ethan and you go in the portal, is that correct, Paul?”

“You’re forgetting about Lou…” Paul rubbed his neck anxiously, Lou raising an eyebrow at Holloway, who typed Louisiana’s name down on to the database of the mission.

“Alright, and considering you’re all strapped up and ready to go…” She shrugged, gesturing over to the portal.

Ethan beamed and saluted to Holloway, kissing Lex’s cheek, saying a quick goodbye to the others before throwing himself against the barrier that parted their world from The Black and White. Lou rolled her eyes, stepping in calmly leaving Paul alone. He heard Holloway reassure him everything was going to be okay, and he knew that. At the end of the day, Emma would recover, and they’d be able to do everything that they’d been doing in the past. They’d ensure that they were doing the norm from this point forward. He braced himself, gripping the exterior of the portal’s frame, before stepping inside, letting the coldness of the tear consume him.

Nobody was dying on his watch. Nobody at all, and if they were, then he’d have to go back in and drag them out again.

* * *

He felt as if he were falling. Time slowed down. Dare he open his eyes? Yes. Yes, he could. He opened his eyes. He was falling in a way he was on his back, his head angled, but his eyes in front of him. Reality crumbled into shards before his very eyes. In those shards, he saw his reflection. Blood was streaming from his mouth, a clear substance flowing from his eyes. He had a scratch against his chest, red thickly bleeding out on to his white shirt that had become unbuttoned. Who’d unbuttoned it? _Where_ was he?

He felt free. Despite all the questions that plagued his mind, he felt free. Was he dead? Was this what death felt like? Was this what all who he’d loved had felt the minute they’d taken their last breath. When their hands had slipped from the loved ones, had they felt nothing more than falling on a featherbed? He felt light. He could…feel things again. He no longer felt cold. He felt the heartbeat that raced in his chest, he felt the air tickle the back of his throat, he felt the wind whip through his hair.

He moved his hand in front of him. It blurred slightly. It was like he was in slow motion. He grasped a shard, one of the larger ones. The edges were blunt, sanded down. He snatched it, bringing it closer to his face so he could inspect it in greater detail. He could see the reflection of himself still, but in the background, he could see the doctors at home, he could see the familiar face of Alice Woodward, Emma laying asleep to the side of the room. He heard the whispers and theories of what could possibly be happening to him. What was happening to him? _Where was he?_

He let the shard go, watching as it slipped back into place of the realm where it truly belonged. In the midst of it all, he started to flip forwards. His head pounded gently, a welcoming tickle against the back of his neck. His shirt untucked itself from his trousers, his sleeves rolling up to reveal the ring he wore on his hand. Right…he’d gotten married. Was that why he was there? And if so, where was his partner? Where was his beloved? Where was _anyone?!_

Time sped up. Maybe the people controlling the realm got sick and tired of him questioning where he was, or what he was. He stopped falling, lingering in the air, facing downwards. All he could see was white. Nothing more, nothing less, just the brightest of colours he could have ever imagined. He faced downwards, seeing the twinkle of the shards as the light bounced through them. They began to fall, slowly at first, before dropping all at once. A second passed, then two, then three, before he found himself falling again. No, not falling, _dropped._ Someone had held the collar of his shirt and let him go, careless as what the outcome would be. He fell, landing on his hands and knees, coughing up whatever was in his throat while shutting his eyes, not wanting to see what he was coughing up, collapsing on to his front.

Wherever he was, he heard a distant ‘ _checkmate’_ and the clatter of something heavy. He heard a familiar laugh, one heartful and pure and a clinking of a glass. Then, whoever was in the background fell silent. All of a sudden, the screech of chairs and the thudding of shoes, the skidding towards him. A hand was placed on his back, their voices sounding muffled as far as he could tell. “ _Private?! Private Slate?! Fuck, he’s bleeding…”_

He felt himself be flipped on to his back, someone brush away the substance from his mouth which he now knew was blood. He felt a warmth on his chest as he spluttered again. He felt another hand hold his shoulders, shushing him softly. “ _Kid, do you think you can open your eyes?”_ And so, he did. He opened his eyes, adjusting to the bright light, coughing up more blood, using his arms to shield himself. It was like he’d woken up from sleeping by the pool like he used to do with Lou and George in high school. The voices became opaque, familial.

“There you go, you’re okay, come on- get him on his side.”

He was moved so he was lying on his side, his head now resting on his arm as if it were a pillow, his other arm covering his eyes as he got used to the whiteness that was consuming him. He coughed whatever else he could up until there was nothing left pouring from his airways. He gasped for breath, panting, as a bottle was placed against his lips. He took a sip from it, not caring what it was, tasting the most pristine water he could have ever tasted. His breathing slowed as he lay back, hauling himself to stay on his back.

He slowly removed his arm from his eyes, blinking as his vision became less static. He looked around at where he was. Colour started forming into place. Against the walls, grey bricks began to form with green vines draping down them. He placed his elbows on the floor, which glistened and gleamed under the bright. He realised soon he was lying in a blue, reflective pool that kept him still and sane. He could see a miniature set of furniture over in the distance with a tiny, scaled chess set on top of it. “Am I dead?” He asked himself, not realising he wasn’t just hearing the voices. He heard two laughs and a ‘ _something like that.’_ He turned his head, choking on his breath. He wiped his mouth as he saw the healthier, younger versions of the two men who’d saved his life.

“Slate, you’re in the better part of The Black and White. You’re _not_ supposed to be here, so we’re gonna try and figure out how to get you outta here, alright?” Xander smiled, producing a tissue from his pocket, clean and unused, wiping Benny’s mouth in a fatherly way. He watched as his eyes widened in an unreadable way. He sighed as his husband took over speaking.

“I understand this is a lot to take in, son. We still don’t fully understand how it works, but while you are with us, and you stay within the walls, you can’t be hurt. You’re in The White, Private Slate.”

“Uh-“ Benny laughed, shock settling into his body. “I ain’t a Private no more sirs…it’s uh- 2022, I’m a Major and uh- I got married today and now I’m uh…dead?”

He watched as both John and Xander blinked falling silent, until, in unison, they broke the silence.

“What the _FUCK?!”_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i watched rocky with my two friends yesterday and now we all kin frank so that's fun!!!! 
> 
> also hmmm paul matthews acting rather sus paul matthews whats up with you and emma acting like you're evil wtf, idk part of it is a direct attack at me for using him as a plot point in areas sorry paul i hope u realise i'd die for you
> 
> also not john and xander both freaking tf out when they realised benny's married grow tf up u whores :D


	7. Think And You'll Miss It

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Louisiana has a love hate relationship with her dad. And yes, I'm on about her biological one

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: death. but also hurt/comfort. mentions of alcoholism and rehab
> 
> chapter title from: Why Must We Tell Them - 35mm: A Musical Exhibition

Cold, yet warm. Fire, yet ice. How could the pitch black be so bright? How could the wet against her shoes be so dry? How could she be sweating, yet colder than snow. What the hell was this place? How could she have suddenly felt as if she were falling forwards and then upside down before plummeting and landing with a _splash_ in a liquid not quite unfamiliar to her, but certainly not a friend. Lou shook herself off, pulling herself to sit up before running her hands through her hair, tugging it up into a ponytail, deciding on not rushing ahead. She didn’t know what to expect from The Black and White aside from the fact it had the capability to kill an individual with or without proper access. She, unlike Paul and Ethan, was in a PEIP officiated suit, plastered to her body, minus the ridiculous bubble helmet. However, she did have to wear a mask which she wasn’t against. She didn’t mind it at all.

Previous to this mission, she’d been studying up on The Black and White. She got the position as Private 5 years ago but being a Private never always meant working on the field. So, in her spare time, she’d discover as much about the precinct as well as any alternate dimension that may occur, out. Then, when she turned 19 and Paul Matthews joined the precinct as a major part of the force, she began working closely with him to ensure all correct information was written on the database. Many words from that particular mission stuck in her head – _seer, blood, chamber._ At first, she’d shuddered, but back then, she’d been weaker than she was in the current day. That Louisiana hadn’t lost her family when she first read those words; she hadn’t lost her dads either.

Of course, it all changed when John died. He’d given her subtasks to do that enabled her mind to absorb and expand. Being placed to work with Paul, even in his early days under John’s rule gave her a sense of security for the first time in her life. A sense of pride, even. Without him, she lost the purpose that helped to shape and carve her identity. Through John, she found herself. Now that he was indefinitely gone, she didn’t know how she was supposed to be feeling about the matter entirely.

Yet, though the memories of her earlier days at PEIP were enough to persistently warm her, she was cold. She wanted out of this stupid fucking realm as soon as humanely possible. She wanted to go off the promise she told herself and rush around, find Benny and get out of there but it was hard to ignore the fact that with the little knowledge she knew about the realm, she was left in the dark. Literally. She recalled her thoughts, reinstating them to their former position, going along the mental pathway she’d created beforehand.

This wasn’t just for her, she recalled, but for Benny as well. Maybe Benny was in this realm _with_ her fathers. Maybe Benny was safe. Maybe he’d be happier here than out there…maybe he didn’t want to go back. Sure, it had been his wedding day, but deep down, she knew her friend. He seemed so nervous all day, never allowing himself to relax. Benny didn’t drink alcohol, neither did George, but at a celebration, he’d usually have a glass or two even if that was it. He drank water the entire day while Kian drank to his heart’s content. That was a clear difference between Benny and Kian. And Lou…she’d always wanted to see him happy, but she’d always seen how happy he was with Elliot. Who knows? Maybe she could be overthinking it, or maybe Benny hadn’t let Elliot go entirely yet, but he seemed nowhere near as happy with Kian than he did before the engagement. Who was she to second chance anything anyways? That wasn’t her purpose.

She set her jaw, thinking about her mission, diverting her attention once more as she stood. She went to brush herself off although she noticed that beads of thick, red blood were dripping down her suit, saving her a job. Shaking her hands and shoulders, her dog tags gently jingling together, she started to look around. To no success at seeing anything that may add to her assistance, she pulled out a compass from her pocket. She needed to head North, she remembered, and North she went.

Her boots thudded emptily along the floor. What felt like a magnetic pull that was preventing her from walking, almost keeping her boots stuck to the floor was forcing her to go slower than she usually would. She grimaced, thinking ‘ _only straight people walk slow and I am **not** straight.’ _She looked down to the ground. In the little light that was allowing her to see, she watched as the floor was trying to absorb her shoes. No wonder she felt so grounded. She found herself breathing in slowly, shaking her head out of disapproval of the situation she’d wound up in, catching the scent of a citrus perfume Benny had bought her for her birthday one time somewhere nearby. She didn’t know where it was coming from, but red flags rose in her mind, standing high on top of the mast. She ignored it, choosing to keep walking forwards…wherever forwards _was._

The realm was pitch black. Absolutely nothing could convince her she wasn’t walking in spot. The only thing she could rely on was her compass, and even then, she didn’t trust it fully. Everywhere she turned, she could only see pitch black walls. If she looked down, she could see a vague reflection of herself in the blood that rippled, forming small waves against her shoes, the bottom of her suit now soaked taking a bleeding watercolour palette to the next level. Having a compass should have reassured her that she was in the right direction, but she couldn’t tell if she was going anywhere at all. There wasn’t any sign this wasn’t a mind trick, a trap, even. She knew, based on statistics of previous missions, that The Black and White would alter itself to stop her from completing her mission would essentially happen at some point. It was The Black and White’s favourite cliché game to play. It happened with Wilbur, it happened with Nick, it happened with _everyone_ who fell victim. She made a promise to herself when she came into that portal that she would _not_ be one of those victims, that she would not be a statistic.

Unfortunately, The Black and White had other ideas.

She felt a soft breeze on the back of her neck, the ends of her ponytail scratching her skin. She stopped, scoffing frustratedly, ripping the hair bobble out, clamping it between her teeth. She began to mumble to herself, something incoherent, as she twisted the hair into a bun, shutting her eyes to concentrate. That was a simple hairstyle that’d prevent distraction and allow her to succeed. Changing her hairstyle mid-way through the mission had not been a part of the plan. Wind wasn’t exactly something that could occur in the rip between fabric, time and space. She had no idea why there was a breeze around her anymore. She also didn’t understand why she was beginning to smell smoke. A fire couldn’t start. That was impossible. But maybe it wasn’t a physical aspect as to why she was smelling smoke. John had smoked before he’d died, and he always smelt of cigarettes in a comforting way. Maybe he’d come to get her?

Excitedly, expecting to see her dad, she opened her eyes but paused when she recognised the room she was now stood in. If this was an illusion, it sure as hell wasn’t a pleasant one. She was stood on brown carpet, beer stains by the dark red couch. The TV was perched on a light brown stand in the corner of the room in front of the large window against the wall. The door was still chipped, scratch marks on the inside of it away from outside world who, if they dared discover the truth, would learn to suffer the consequences as well. The paint on the stairs was still chipped and falling off, as was the wallpaper. She turned her head slowly to see the archway that led to the kitchen. It was clean. She could still see, though, the ashtray on the black, marble counter. On the mantlepiece were a variety of different photos, many of which she recognised far too well. The hairs on the back of her neck stood up, too scared to turn around. Her excitement faded at once. She may have asked for her dad, but she didn’t mean her biological one.

“Louisiana,” a deep, rough voice spoke up from behind her. “The _fuck_ are you doin’, girl?! Standin’ like that in the livin’ room?! Who’d’ya think y’are?” 

The couch shifted and Lou knew she couldn’t escape this conversation. She’d be lucky if he was sober. She’d had to deal with the consequences when he was drunk before, and there was absolutely nothing more she wanted than to _not_ experience them again She took a deep breath, letting her hair drop back against her shoulders, placing the hair bobble on her wrist. She turned around, facing her biological father, breathing slowly. “Hey, dad.”

“What kinda get up is that?” He asked, sitting forward, a cigarette resting against the ash tray that was placed on the coffee table. He rose an eyebrow, gesturing to her. “Some kinda stripper?”

“No.”

“I’m surprised.”

“Of course you are.”

Instead of approaching that topic, he decided to change topics immediately. “Y’aint supposed to be here, Louisiana.”

“And neither are you. You’re supposed to be living your happy little life with your new girlfriend who absolutely _adores_ you, aren’t you? How _is_ she, by the way?” She watched his lip curl, a snarl rumbling in the bottom of his throat that she ignored. “What I thought. Go fuck yourself, I’ve got things to be doing.”

“Well, I can see that.” He sat himself up, leaning against the back of the sofa, taking the cigarette, placing it between two fingers. “And so have I! Looks like we’re stuck here together.”

“Great…” she shut her eyes, taking a breath. She had to keep calm. She knew that this was just an illusion, a holt in her path, but she also couldn’t deny how realistic it felt. She wasn’t going to let it faze her.

“You’re 22, ain’t’cha now, Louisiana? How many years has it been?”

“9. And they’ve been the most blissful 9 years of my life.”

“I don’t get why you never bothered to come and see me, at least once! You make me out to be this huge asshole-“

“You are a huge asshole.”

“But that’s all you see of me. When your mom left, goddamn, Louise, that’s when I knew I had to do somethin’! But no! You couldn’t be happy for me, could ya!”

“I cannot remember the last time you supported me with something I was proud of. You didn’t support me in the 13 years I lived with you. You went and got drunk. What the hell was I supposed to do? Just stay and continue to wait for you to get home?!”

“I’ve gotten better.”

“I’ve heard.”

“So why have you not come home! You’re my kid! The hell can I keep a bond if I never get to see ya! You used to be my little girl! What happened?”

Lou fell silent then. She crossed her arms and looked to the floor, trying to think of a way out of the situation. “I’ve got places to be, I can’t-“ She watched as he stood and placed a hand on her shoulder.

“Come on. I can hold ‘em back for you. I just wanna talk to you, why d’ya think I’m here for?” His voice was calmer. It had always had a roughness to it, but he was calm. She wasn’t going to hurt her. “Let’s go sit down, okay?”

Lou thought about it for a moment before nodding, sitting down on the couch beside her father, still closed in on herself, though not as much.

“The Slates…they’re taking care of you, aren’t they?”

Lou froze for a moment, staying looking to the floor. “How did you…?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Because…I understand I was a shitty dad. I understand that completely. When I became an alcoholic and refused to get help, I got fired from my job and we got threatened with eviction. I told the Slates, ‘look, if anythin’s to happen to me, please take care of Louisiana for me.’ I could have sworn I’d written a note to you in my drunken state but…if it was a drunken note then my handwriting must have been unreadable. It was when I checked myself in for rehab. I knew if I tried to talk to you about it, especially in the early morning, I’d scare ya. Then when I came back from rehab a few months after…all your stuff was gone. You think I couldn’t have noticed?” He watched as she shrugged.

“But they took care of me. Agatha and Will, they took me in like I was one of their own. They didn’t need to do it and they still did…and I got to finish school beside Benny, I got to get to know George better…and Benny’s my best friend. He um…he got married today, but he passed out. The Lords In Black, I take it you know who they are, they messed up everything again so…that’s the only reason I’m in The Black and White to begin with. His soul ended up here somewhere…but Benny didn’t seem very happy today. It just isn’t fair on him. He deserves everything and when he finally gets that everything…it’s torn from him.”

“He’s safe,” Lou’s dad confirmed, looking at her. “I don’t know where he is, but I can feel that he is safe somewhere within this realm. I can feel…everyone. It’s how I knew you were here, Lou.”

Lou nodded, gaining a little more confidence. “I’m 22, dad…”

“I know that, sweetheart. I’ve been waiting for you.”

“And…I’m a Lieutenant. I work for PEIP which- you-, I can tell you this, right?”

“All information is classified with me,” he said with a smile.

Lou chuckled tearfully, nodding. “Me and Benny…we got to go to PEIP. He found an advert while looking for more information about what happened to his parents. They were murdered when we were 15- well, when I was 16, he was 15. He stumbled across the website, he had conversations back and forth with the founder of the precinct and…the founder, he asked Benny if he wanted to join the precinct and Benny put my name forth. We had the interview and got in on the spot. Originally, I wasn’t under John’s lead but then he saw something in me, I don’t know if it was entirely potential, but he saw something in me and took me under his wing. He trained me, he taught me everything he knew and…and he adopted me, dad…” She waited for a blatant silence to hit her, though one never came.

“And John McNamara, he’s your General as well, right?”

“Yeah…yeah he is…”

“And he’s been takin’ care of ya since I’ve been gone?”

“Yeah.”

“Then I ain’t got a problem with him.” He smiled softly, placing his hand on her knee, looking over to her. “Blonde hair, blue eyes, scar across his face?”

“That’s the man…”

“He’s safe in The White. Right now, we’re in The Black where The Lords In Black are, as well as a few other…inhabitants, we’ll say for now. The White has been guarded by The Lady In White. Those with good souls are restored there after contact with The Black and White upon passing away.”

“I take it you didn’t go there when you died…”

“Y’don’t know that.” He moved closer to her and smiled softly. “My main purpose is to make sure you cross the journey from The Black to The White safely. I’m from The White myself. I spend my days with Agatha and William Slate. We’re okay.”

Lou looked up at him, her face crumpling into that of a soft cry. After 7 years of wondering how he rested, where he rested, all the questions she had she could finally get an answer from. She looked up into his soft brown eyes, sniffling again as she accepted the fact he had now wrapped his arm around her, holding her close against his side like he used to do when she was a little girl, listening to what he had to say.

“I take you have questions.”

“I have _so_ many questions…but I don’t think I can get the answers just yet. I really gotta go, dad…”

“I understand. But I have Agatha and William on standby outside the front door in the event any of The Lords In Black face any funny business with us. I will not stand for them to hurt my little girl. Though you ain’t so little no more, are ya, kiddo?”

“No, no, I ain’t…” She let her grammar slip up a little. Who could care about when she was back in the presence of the man who’d originally made her feel so safe? “I’m uh…I got a girlfriend, dad, I’m bisexual and Benny…he’s our surrogate. We’re gonna have a kid…”

He smiled again, running his hand through Lou’s hair. “And this girl, she works with ya?”

“Not necessarily. Her name’s Ruth and she works in communications. Me and Benny had a bit of a fall out three years ago, but I was the maid of honour at his wedding and Ruth’s twin sister is Benny’s best friend…but we got each other.”

“Do you know anything about the baby?”

“No…we don’t know nothin’ about them.”

“You wanna know about your baby?” He asked, and when she nodded, he gently placed his hands against her temples. As he did so, she gasped softly, gripping the edge of the couch as a small image was planted in her mind.

There was Lou, again with hair longer than what she had at that time and her eyebrow still slit crouched down. Ruth, her hair a soft blonde, was holding a baby perched on her hip. The child had fair hair and their eyes closed. They were dressed in a small jumper and pyjama pants, tiny socks around their feet. In Lou’s arms, tackled in a hug, was a small boy with curly brown hair and bright blue eyes, a gleeful expression set on his face.

Once sure the image had come to view, he removed his hands from Lou’s temples, a tear falling down his daughter’s face. “We’re having a little boy…and…another baby?”

“That’s what it appears so.” He watched as she wiped her eyes. “And you both look happy. You, your little boy, Ruth, and the other baby who was sleeping.” He moved away and looked at her. “You’ve got a mission to go on, Lou. Come on, we’d best be off…”

“Okay…” she stood up and looked down at him, truly taking him in, how she got to see him again. The wavy brown hair that sat upon his head, his skin that was covered in moles and small scars, how he had an eyebrow piercing and, even in the afterlife, wore his leather jacket that he loved so much. He wore a green shirt under that, jeans and heavy boots. He had a chiselled jawline, similar to John’s, but round cheeks and dimples.

He looked at her and smiled, standing, and at 5’11, had to look down at her. He took her hand and guided her to the front door, telling her to stay put. Once he knew she was safe at her station, he opened a drawer and pulled out a backpack that she could take out of The Black and White. It’d serve her well. He placed it atop of her shoulders and opened the door. “After you, Louisiana.”

“Right before you, Edward,” Lou answered back, unable to deny a smile that forced it’s way on to her face. Once she was out, she could see Agatha and William talking to each other, worried expressions on both of their faces, though they seemed relieved when they saw Edward walk out of the house.

“Goodness, it took you some time!” William started, rushing over to Edward, grabbing his arm. “We’ve been wantin’ to get to our son!”

“Will!” Agatha laughed, looking at him. “Darling, Benny is safe with General McNamara and Lieutenant Lee. They’ve bought us time, and yes, I’m excited to hold him again _and_ to show him the truth.” Agatha then turned to the girl before her and nodded. “Louisiana.”

“It’s good to see you again, Mrs Slate. And you too, Mr Slate.”

“Oh, for goodness sakes, Lou. We may be dead, but you’re still able to call us by our first names. The rule still stands. Now,” Will pulled back his watch and looked around. “We have to run. If we don’t, we may get caught by Wiggog Y’Wrath, and, as far as I’m concerned-“ there was a loud explosion in the distance and Ethan’s voice shouting something like ‘ _go fuck yourself_ ’, which prompted William to shake his head. “Just run. If anything happens, you two go ahead.”

Agatha took Lou’s shoulders and began walking her west instead of north. “Now, I know that PEIP are smart, dear, but heading north? Instead of west? Whoever came up with that needs to be fired on the spot. You’d be heading into the open gape of the deities!” She tutted, her skirt beginning to grow slightly longer, now just above her ankles. They walked together for a time, she couldn’t determine whether it was seconds, minutes or hours, but, eventually, they stopped. “Okay, deary, take my hand and we’ll be-“

“Wait.” Lou turned to face her father, who stood still, fumbling with something around his neck. He took a breath before unclasping something around is neck. “We don’t have much time, but you see the white and the orange in this gem? It’s a pocket-portal, and it’ll allow you, briefly, to speak to me. So, this isn’t goodbye, Lou. But I know that once you’ve collected Benny, it will be.” He placed the necklace around her, clasping it, letting it go so it dropped down in front of her dog tags. “Now we can go.”

Agatha nodded with a smile, taking Lou’s hand, and together, they pushed through the barrier. Lou could only describe the sensation of walking through the barrier that kept PEIP out, and kept The Black and White in. It prevented them from taking accurate results with an inefficient way to get data, and so, to break the barrier felt as if she was walking against elastic. Walking through this new material was like 400,000 elastic bounds snapping as she walked with 20,000 hands grabbing at her, trying to hold her back, though she knew, if Agatha kept her hand on her, then they were getting through it.

Eventually, the sensation stopped, and she was met with a brightness behind her eyes that caused her to wince. She blinked rapidly, allowing herself to calm, before she allowed her eyes to open. The room felt more like a castle than a segment of a realm. It felt so much more welcoming than she could have ever imagined. She exhaled, making sense of where she was and who she was with as the voices settled in her mind.

“Drink up, kid, come on. We can’t have you passing out on us again. God forbid that happen again.”

“John, let him drink, Jesus…”

“Not quite Jesus, Xander, darling.”

“This water tastes spicy, sirs.”

“Benny, what the fuck.”

Agatha smiled and, with a wave of her hand, water crashed to the floor, an invisible barrier that prevented them from seeing the other side, and the two superior officers jumped.

“Jesus _fucking_ Christ!” Xander clutched his heart, coughing as John laughed, placing his hand on his husband’s shoulder.

“I told you we were expecting guests, babe-“

“Lou?” Benny asked, sitting up straighter upon seeing his friend, which drew John and Xander’s attention to her as well.

Agatha let go of Lou and she stood there, smiling sheepishly, kicking at the water. She looked directly at John and shrugged. “What’s a party without me, asshole?”

With that, John got up and ran towards his mentee, wrapping his arms around her tightly, holding her close. For the first time in 3 years, she heard his heartbeat, she felt his warmth. She felt his arms around her, his hand in her hair, his comfort. “I missed you, dumbass.“

“Hey, don’t speak to your father like that!” Xander called from the table, beckoning Agatha, William and Edward over.

“Shut the fuck up, Zee! You’re ruining the moment!” Even if John was trying to hide how his voice shook, he couldn’t. That got Lou laughing.

“Missed me, old man?”

“So much…”

“Ain’t I supposed to be the one who gets all emotional and sappy?”

“Shut up. You’re the only mentee I ever had, and you were my daughter. I’ve had to watch you grow up and start a family from a border. I’m so sorry, Lou…I’m so sorry. Me and your father, we’ve been trying to get home but we…we don’t actually know how to. Because he was comatose and taken off of life support and I-“

“Was brutally murdered by The Lords In Black. Yeah…I remember dad…” Lou’s smile crept back on to her face as she looked up at him.

“Exactly. We’re not entirely sure of the consequences. But every day, we are working with Webby, trying to figure out how to get back to PEIP, to take the precinct back. Though, we may have to put an expansion on the land. I have to admit, Schaffer did a mighty damn good job.”

“She don’t just let us mess around no more, John.”

“I know. I’ve seen. And that sucks.” He admitted, pulling away, looking at her. He wiped his eyes, recollecting himself, smiling softly as he noticed the watch on her wrist, deciding against saying anything. “You can take the mask off, Lou.”

“No, no I can’t. Ethan and Paul- they’re in suits- well, Paul is. Ethan’s in the outfit he died in.”

“Yes, you can. The White will protect you, but if you’re worried…” John slipped off his suit blazer and draped it around her, helping her to slip her arms into it, placing the backpack on the floor as he did so. “You’ll be safe. The Lords In Black, they see suits and The White as the highest standard of authority, and hence, untouchable.”

“I love you, dad.”

“I love you too.” John told her, looking back at his daughter, taking another shaky breath. “Come, let’s talk. The lot of us.”

“Will that be a step closer to you guys coming home?” She asked, twitching her nose as she picked up the bag, placing it on her back, slowly walking with him.

“It may be.” John walked over to his daughter, wrapping his arm around her, placing a kiss on her hair as she sneezed. John laughed softly at the noise before getting elbowed in the side. “I deserved that.”

“Dickhead.”

John laughed and took his seat back at the table, pulling out a chair for Lou between Benny and himself.

Lou looked around and furrowed her eyebrows. “Yeah, so uh, quick question. Has anyone seen Paul or Ethan?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i was gonna write the next chapter for this and post it beforehand but physically i just cant be fucking assed right and also i had a milkshake yesterday and threw a chicken nugget at my window. i am hyped up on adrenaline and the fnaf security breach trailer. i know fuck all about five nights at freddys apart from jack black wrote a song about it which remains iconic. 
> 
> anyway so the next chapter is ethan and paul encountering the lords in black and ethans just like  
> "Aww what the fuck no more murderous shenanigans?"  
> "Nope."  
> "That's fucking dumb. grow up" and then ethan drop kicks blinky. 
> 
> also the files make a return and i am heavily relating to the files especially micah's files because he just doesn't give a fuck man. i also don't give a fuck writing these fucking end notes. i just do not care. the entire fucking chapter could be nothing but blood and i'll still be liek "lmoa so goats-" it could be the end of the world and my end notes would save us all thank you very much, go listen to 35mm, watch wandavision on disney+ and goodnight


	8. 'Townes, Better Swim Before You Drown'

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ethan green meets his fave boys, paul matthews throws hands with a god, micah and nat's iconic files are BACK and im hyped

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song Title from (bcs im proud hes performing at the grammys): HARRY STYLES' CAROLINA!!!!!
> 
> anyways tw: mentions of sexual assault, domestic abuse, probs some others but,,, mild mentions of violence

Ethan cracked his knuckles once he landed back on his feet in The Black and White. The coldness that swarmed him immediately comforted him. His eyes settled back to the dark, the whites of his eyes plaguing a green tinge as his normally green eyes glowed. It was a gift from The Black and White when he left, to harness the power of Wiggog Y’Wrath, and he wasn’t using it just because he could. He used it when it was useful, and he kept it hidden, which was the main purpose to begin with. He sighed, shaking himself off, a grin spreading on his face. Being back in The Black and White felt as if he was at home, if he was being perfectly honest. In fact, he felt as if he never left. He checked himself over, ensuring he hadn’t gotten injured from the journey from PEIP to the interior of the portal and tutted, his face scrunching up, displeased. “Wow. Can’t believe I’m not disintegrating. That’s so not cool. It was so much cooler the first time I landed my ass in here. I was glowing green! I mean, sometimes that still happens but I was _dead-“_

The hiss of the portal told Ethan he was no longer alone. He spun around to see Paul, staggering through, pulling his suit blazer tighter around himself as a shield, “Ethan, we didn’t come here to die, and even if this was a suicide mission, which it isn’t, I wouldn’t let you die either.” Paul grumbled as he came to a standstill, steadying himself. He checked himself over in his dark reflection below him, running his hands through his hair, buttoning up his jacket. “Besides that, we came here to save Benny.” Well, at least one of them had.

In reality, Paul wanted to find whoever Wiggog Y’Wrath claimed to be and get all the answers he could. He wasn’t letting Emma hold the burden of that fucking monstrosity any longer. He would no longer let his wife life in pain. He had no idea she’d been living as a member of The Hatchetfield Six for so long. Sure, it wasn’t _the_ Hatchetfield Six that he was aware of, but nonetheless, she had a mark that attached her to this infinite realm that enabled the gods to do with her as they wished. He couldn’t let it continue. If that meant he’d have to be the one to stop them, then he would. He’d killed them once before, he just needed a different strategy to end them once and for all.

Paul shuddered at the cold, pushing his hands in his pockets, shimmying his shoulders in an attempt to dust himself off. He stood closer to Ethan, looking around, trying to find any sort of clue of where to go, or what to do. “We’re here to get the answers we need. We need to access The White, which, if my calculations were correct, and they have been since I joined the force, it’ll be west.”

“West?” Ethan snorted, rolling his eyes while folding his arms against his chest as he started walking, his green eyes lighting the way in front of him. “I mean, south would be _so_ much cooler you know? You take a trip deep down to Drowsy Town, you might as well _head_ downwards! Heading west is as ridiculous as fuckin’ comin’ in here with the intention of heading west and you end up exploring the entire place!” Actually, _don’t_ do that. Reason? Because you might encounter The Lords In Black and then you might die. They seem to like skinny white boys. Proof? Source: Ethan Antonio Green.”

“Ethan,” Paul told him, beginning to walk, waiting for the kid to follow. “You are _also_ a skinny white boy.”

“Yeah, but you see, I’m just built different, man. I got myself _muscles!_ I’m fuckin’ jacked! And Paul, no offence man, but you got a little bit of pudge.” Ethan stopped before looking at Paul, shuffling slightly closer to him and poking his arm. “Aww! No fuckin’ _wonder_ Pokey chose you to be his Host! It’s because you’re so fuckin’ cute!” He grinned before turning his head and gasping at small coloured dots in the distance. “Speaking of my boys…my boys!”

“Your- what?” Paul stopped with Ethan. He’d already lost Louisiana in the midst of a realm unfamiliar to him. He was determined not to lose his second teammate. He couldn’t _afford_ to lose another teammate to put it lightly. If they both went missing, he’d be alone, and he did _not_ do well in the dark.

Ethan seemed even more pleased to expand on the point, grabbing Paul’s wrist. “Paul, follow me. I know _exactly_ where we are.” He laughed, picking up into a run, holding his head high. He could feel Paul stumble his own feet, which made Ethan take even more pride in his duty as the leader of the mission currently. He continued to follow the coloured dots that grew larger and larger with every footstep, no longer taking form as some sort of blob, but as figures. He never thought he’d ever get to say it, but he sure as hell was looking forward to seeing the five of them.

“Okay, okay, okay, uh, why are we running?” Paul asked, trying to keep up with Ethan, who seemed to be walking much quicker than he was for some bizarre reason he couldn’t figure out.

“Because…because! My boys!” Ethan said, flailing his arm behind him, gesturing to the coloured blobs. “I’ve missed my boys! Well, my boy at least. You see, they’re misunderstood, man! Except Nibblenephim. All my homies hate Nibblenephim.”

“What are you saying?!” Paul pleaded. He had never been able to depict what the younger generation called ‘their language,’ and he could never wrap his head around slang either. Being on a mission with two members of Gen Z had set himself up for disaster, though that was the fault. He _was_ the leader, after all. Unfortunately for Paul, the attention he’d been bringing to himself had alerted his presence to Ethan’s so called ‘boys.’ A low growl came from nearby and, as Paul moved his head to see who was growling at him, he instantly became wary.

“Wiggly,” the blonde figure said, tapping his brother on the shoulder. “It’s dipshit.”

Immediately, the growling stopped, and he examined Paul. His eyebrows furrowed lowly, the snarl raising in the bottom of his throat again until he saw the second figure beside the suited man, and his eyes lit up. “Ethan! Thank fucking _god_ it was you. It was getting bowing awound here.” He huffed and took his seat back at the table, welcoming Ethan to join them. “Since Uncle Wiwey went away, we have had _nothing_ to do.”

“Is that why we’ve had three years of peace? Because you and the boys haven’t had anything to do?” Ethan asked as he walked over to the god and sat beside him, popping the collar on his leather jacket as he watched Wiggly take a sip of some sort of liquid that was rich in colour, and also very questionable. Ethan decided not to pursue with that conversation.

Wiggly nodded, dragging his finger around the rim of the glass, the chipped colour on his fingernail starting to repair itself, a new coat of black appearing. “But…we’ve been pwanning, scheming, you see. Me, my bwothers. We need _wevenge!”_

“I still think he needs a speech therapist before he tries to take over the world again,” Tinky said, draping his arms around Ethan’s shoulders in a sort of hug before ruffling his hair, sitting beside Ethan. To that, Wiggly growled again. Ethan placed his hand on Wiggly’s shoulder, squeezing the blade, causing him to screech.

“You need to think of an option that’s less murderish, Wiggly. I’ve _told_ you this! You’re going to get in trouble again!” Ethan shook his head, clasping the leather glove around his hand up again. “Doesn’t murder ever get tiring?”

“Nope,” the two gods present said in unison.

“We’re the kings of the land, Ethan! Of course murder doesn’t get boring! You can create laws on the spot, and nobody can do anything about it!” Tinky said, reaching into his pocket, pulling out his box, tossing it in his hand, a muffed collection of screams becoming imminent from inside the box itself. Tinky laughed. “Not only are we gods, but we _are_ the oldest living creations to know earth.”

“I’m still oldew than you,” Wiggly muttered under his breath, crossing his arms, kicking his legs up on to the table, tossing the glass behind him.

“Well, yeah, but _I’m_ still more powerful.”

“Okay, and _who’s **the**_ Lowd in Bwack? Me! And who awe you, Tinky? The fuckin’ bastard of space and time, that’s stupid!”

“You had an unoriginal concept, shut up, Wiggly.” Tinky rolled his eyes as a soft pop and some smoke left the two other gods needed at the table to appear. Pokey sat, reasonably, beside Tinky, Blinky taking his seat beside Wiggly.

“Are you two still fighting over this? Jesus fucking Christ, we established this so many _years_ ago! If we’re on about scariness, it’s Nibblenephim because _he’s_ ‘the one who feasts in the dark!’ I think Pokey has the dumbest subscore- _Ethan!”_ Blinky said, catching sight of the younger boy, who smiled. “What are you doing here?”

“Nibbly kidnapped the soul of Johnson’s younger sister and kidnapped Benjamin Slate.” Tinky told Blinky out of simplicity, biting on his nails. “He’s come here to get him. Hartford’s in The White. I know because I tried to tackle her.”

“Ah,” Blinky nodded before looking at Ethan. “Anyways, Ethan, considering you’re the _only_ responsible person here, can you settle an argument for us?”

“Gladly.”

“Okay, so, we have subscores, right? Wiggly is ‘ _The_ Lord In Black’, which I think is a little bit cocky, I am ‘The Watcher With One Thousand Eyes,’ Tinky is ‘The Bastard Of Space And Time,’ Pokey is ‘The Singular Voice’ and Nibbly is ‘The One Who Feasts In The Dark.’ Who’s the coolest?”

“Okay, going off of _that,_ Blinky, Nibbly, Tinky, Wiggly, Pokey.”

“Why the _fuck_ am I last, Ethan?” Wiggly growled playfully and Ethan shrugged.

“You’re my friend, right, but you are definitely cocky. _But_ actual names? Tinky, Wiggly, Blinky, Pokey, Nibbly. And power levels? Wiggly, Tinky, Pokey, Blinky, Nibbly. Happy now?”

“Very.” Tinky smirked, crossing his arms as Pokey blinked.

“I mean, I guess?” The smallest god said, looking at Ethan.

“That’s besides the point anyway. I was talking to Wiggly about how you’ve basically been MIA for three years. Why is that?”

“Well,” Wiggly smirked and moved closer to Ethan, looking to his other brothers to clarify he could keep speaking about it. “We’ve been…sorting out the new roles…”

“The new roles?”

“The King, The Prince, The Guardian, The Script and The Seer.” Blinky told him. “Webby doesn’t get a role. But she’d be the fuckin’ Duchess of Bitchworld.” A mutter of agreement sounded from around the table, and Ethan listened in intently.

“Okay, and what are the roles for?”

“Power status,” Wiggly continued. “And, with evewy new role comes a new team who we’ve also been trying to access. Six new membews of The Hatchetfield Six i.e. The Tamed who we’ve had to hunt down. It doesn’t work in Webby’s favouw this time because her Tamed is dead. Six new Hosts and six new Scarred. We just had to…unlock their ultimate power.”

“And our plan, is through our new playmates…well, we can’t exactly say _too_ much…” Tinky said and winked.

“Okay…and…what are your roles?”

“Well, Nibbly’s The Seer because he’s useless and he doesn’t have to do anything other than protect The Black and White, which he’s already failing at considering you’re here-“ Blinky started until another voice disturbed their meeting.

“I’m sorry, you’re _using my wife_ for _your_ benefit!?” Paul asked, his eyebrows furrowed, his blue eyes sparkling with a bitter anger he’d never expressed before. “And for what? What’s it gonna do to her? Huh? You don’t fucking care about my wife! You just use her because you think she’s weak!”

“Actually, it’s anything _but_ that, Paul.” Wiggly rolled his eyes, gripping his hands into tight fists. “You know too much…”

“Oh, do I? And Ethan doesn’t?!” Paul’s eyes opened wider. “What’s your plan? Kill me and then kill Emma?!” When Wiggly bared his teeth, Paul couldn’t find himself seeing red. No. He was beyond that. He was seeing _green._ He lunged forward and grabbed Wiggly’s head, pushing his head down until there was a sickening _crack_ when his head hit the table. Paul immediately jumped back as more growls rose from each ends of the table, the gods eyes immediately on them. Ethan took the chance to stand up, grabbing Paul’s arm.

“Okay…now ya gotta do what I say…”

“Got it.”

Wiggly, shaking with rage, lifted his head off the table, green blood falling down his face. He wiped it off his lip before standing up, climbing on to the table where a rumble in the water occurred. Blood began seeping quicker down the walls and soon, a wave began to form. The other gods stood up, standing on their chairs, laughing at Ethan and Paul as the wave grew and grew. Before long, it was towering over Ethan. “You wanna see death? You’ll see death.” With a wave of his hand, the wave began to move towards the two.

Ethan looked at the wave, pulling Paul back, knowing under pressure, he could get stressed. “Alright- Paul, run!” Ethan told him, pushing Paul gently to give him a head start. Once he knew that Paul was on his way to safety, Ethan focused hard. For the first time since saving his dad, Ethan unleashed the beast that was the fragment of Wiggog Y’Wrath inside his soul. His eyes burned, the veins in his eyes glowing green as well as those in his arms. Ethan focused hard, feeling a tingling in his fingertips. With enough strength and courage, Ethan forced a ball of light towards the wave. The light destroyed the wave, in total making a huge boom as water exploded around him. Ethan, adrenaline pumping through his blood, laughed and put his middle fingers up to the gods. “Go fuck yourself,” he shouted, before running off to join Paul.

Once close enough, he grabbed Paul’s arm and kept running, ensuring Paul was okay. “I’ve got us. The White is just- just-“ with another rumble of a wave nearby, Ethan decided to risk it. “Paul, jump!”

“Why?!”

“It’s the only chance we get! We either break through the wall or die! What do you want?! Do it for Emma, at least!” Ethan told him. He knew that’d strike something in him as he jumped, wriggling his arm out of Ethan’s grasp. Ethan caught a glimpse of bright white light on the other side of Paul’s silhouette which proved Ethan’s theory right. As the wave got closer, and Ethan’s brilliantly lit eyes died down, he jumped.

He felt like his entire body had been ripped apart and pieced together again by the time he touched down in the brighter realm. He coughed up the little water left in his lungs before rolling on his back, looking up at a few familiar faces. “You made it!” He said weakly as he stood up and pulled Paul into a hug. Paul had no choice but to accept the offer, no matter how awkward it was.

“Yeah, and look who else did,” Paul gestured behind him to Benny, who waved. Ethan waved back and sighed.

“Well, we made it. I almost died but we _made it!_ Wow, I know I came in here disappointed that I didn’t die but-“

“What happened?” Lou asked, leaning against Benny’s shoulder, looking at Ethan.

“Well, Paul got annoyed at the fact that Wiggly is planning some sort of shit for the first time in three years because, you know, he can’t leave us the fuck alone. So he smacked Wiggly’s head on the table.”

“No!” Benny’s jaw dropped into a shocked ‘o’ as he looked to Paul for clarification. “Is that true?”

A moment of silence passed before Paul shrugged. “I mean…he was gonna kill Emma and…I couldn’t just let him do that…”

Benny laughed out of shock again before Lou spoke up. “Oh, yeah, Paul, Ethan, this is Agatha and William Slate, their Benny’s biological parents. And this is Edward Hartford… _my_ biological dad. And then that’s John and Xander but I’m sure you know that.”

Ethan blinked, the thought setting in as he looked to the other adults. Then, the thought clicked that of course Lou had a biological dad because both John and Xander were gayer than most people he knew. And he knew a _lot_ of people. Then his eyes landed on Xander, who was leaned back in his chair, his eyebrow raised, a smirk on his face. “Not even a hello. After _everything_ we went through together-“ Xander didn’t get a chance to finish his sentence as Ethan tackled him into a hug, making him laugh. “I missed you too, kid. And I promise, we’ll be out before you know it.”

“You gotta promise me. Lexi’s sayin’ she wants a baby soon and we need a cool uncle.”

“Hey!” John said, turning his head to face Ethan. “Rude.”

“Oh, hush yourself, John. We all know I’d be the cooler uncle. I’m the one who wore shades to work.”

“I told you to stop otherwise you’d get fired because they didn’t follow the dress code. You didn’t. I reckon that’s the reason I fell in love with you, you know?”

“Wow. Honoured.” Xander scoffed and pulled Ethan out of the hug. “You guys need to go. You know that. You’ve got Benny, you can go. Tell everyone what the gods told you. It’ll help. Trust me. Now…say your goodbyes and go.”

And so, the two other teenagers stood up, beginning to say goodbye to their parents. Benny’s goodbye was filled with bittersweet compliments whereas Edward looked like he didn’t want to let go of Lou at all. But, he did, and Lou got a chance to say goodbye to John for what wouldn’t be the last time. “I’m gonna miss you, dad,” she whispered. John nodded.

“You be safe. You can’t leave your own daughter left alone.” He smiled gently and sighed before pulling away. He summoned the electric from The Black and White, forming two portals. “The one on the left takes you straight back to the house, the one on the right takes you back to HQ. Paul, Lou, you take the left. Ethan, you take the right and report back to PEIP as soon as you can. I can only wish you the best. Godspeed.”

Three salutes later, and a final hug from Lou, the three left The White leaving the good of the adults alone, but it didn’t mean it’d be goodbye forever. It never did.

Both Lou and Paul stepped out of the portal as if it was nothing, landing directly inside the medbay, where Micah turned around and rushed forward. “Both of you! On beds! Now! Benny just woke up and he’s okay but-“

“Yeah, thank us.” Lou rolled her eyes but didn’t oblige. She got on one of the beds, placing the orange gemstone under her shirt. She now had connections to not only one of her dads, but all three of them. A light filled her heart and she smiled. However, by Micah’s sigh, she could only be sure he wasn’t as amused as she.

Micah walked back over to the laptop and the desk where Kirk sat, drinking his coffee. Micah ran a hand through his hair before grumbling, loading up the file to see Kirk was already working on it. He rolled his eyes and groaned before looking at Kirk. “I hate work.”

“I can see from your notes, but it has to be done.”

* * *

** Case Opened: **

** Under Personal Review of: Dr. M.Icacks & Dr. N.Kirk: **

**Subject One: July 28 th, 1973: Hidgens, Henry (Professor) – M.I**

**Subject Two: November 23 rd, 2000: Carter-Hidgens, Chad (Colonel) – M.I**

**Subject Three: July 28 th, 2018: McNamara, Jonathan (General) - /**

**Subject Four: December 16 th, 2018: Matthews, Emma (Colonel) – N.K**

**Subject Five: December 17 th, 2018: Barnes, Rebecca (Nurse) – M.I**

**Subject Six: July 28 th, 2019: Woodward, Alice – N.K**

**Subject Seven: July 30 th 2022: Slate, Benjamin (Major) – N.K**

**Subject Eight: July 30 th, 2022: McNamara, Louisiana (Lieutenant) – M.I**

**Subject Nine: July 30 th, 2022: Matthews, Paul (Lieutenant) – N.K**

* * *

** Subject One: July 28th, 1973: Hidgens, Professor Henry  **

**Observed By: Doctor Michael “Micah” Icacks**

**Hair Colour:** Grey

 **Eye Colour:** Varies, on a good day, though, between blue and grey

 **Physical Symptoms:** Tiredness, vomiting

 **Medical History:** Struck by lightning in NineTEEN SIXTY NINE BABY!

 **Family:** do I have to write all of these down (Micah this is Kirk, no) Thank Fuck. Tony Green, Ethan Green, Oliver Hidgens, Chadwick Carter-Hidgens, probs some others but their the main ones to be concerned of

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Tamed_**

**Associate:** Pokotho – The Singular Voice

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** One, Two, Three, Four, he fucked an ape uh-

 **Identifiable By:** Wild blue eyes, untameable hair, lightning strike scar on his back

**~~~**

**5:00 PM:** had a nap, woke up, threw up on the floor. Calmed down by Carter-Hidgens’ touch. Had a temperature when he woke but it appears he is fighting the infection. His eyes are a softer blue than they were earlier. He’s doing a little better. His skin has a little more colour to it though not too much. Vomit – blue, gel like consistency. Taken to Xander’s lab for further examination with _Sloane Torres (see Sloane Torres on **my** records, thank u very much) _Blood sample shows a navy blue colour of blood though the spore count is down to 0.8/200 which is good.

* * *

** Subject Two: November 23rd, 2000: Carter-Hidgens, Colonel Chadwick  **

**Observed by: Doctor Michael “Micah” Icacks**

**Hair Colour:** Some sort of brunettish red??? Idfk I cba to explain, you can see the colour if you look at the person file.

 **Eye Colour:** Green

 **Physical Symptoms:** Started complaining of dehydration and a mild headache. Topped him up with aspirin, he was fine.

**Medical History: /**

**Family:** Henry Hidgens, Ethan Green, Tony Green

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Tamed_**

**Associate:** T’Noy Karaxis – The Bastard Of Space And Time

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** 1 (by mention), 3, 4

 **Identifiable By:** red hair

**~~~**

**5:00PM:** Slept for half an hour but had no success getting him past that point. When Henry woke up he wanted to be by his side. Is a very good boyfriend 10/10 will admit would love for Gary to take care of me when im sick (micah not about you) im very very sorry but I still think john would find this funny. His eyes have a few golden specks to them and his blood shows the same thing. His hair is more brunette than red though. Spore count: 20/1000

* * *

** Subject Three: July 28th, 2018: McNamara, General Jonathan **

**Observed by: Agatha Slate, William Slate, Edward Hartford, Wesbynbth**

**Date Of Birth:** May 12th, 1983

 **Date Reported Missing:** July 28th, 2018

 **Age (At The Time Of Missing Report):** 35

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 39

** Necessities **

**Hair Colour:** Dark blonde, sometimes red in photos, sometimes golden

 **Eye Colour:** Blue.

 **Physical Symptoms:** The Controller Of The Field Of Light

 **Medical History:** Heavily abused by his ex husband in dim. 1 (see _Colonel Nick Johnson_ on the database), got blown up in dimension 2, got stabbed a couple of times, shot a couple more, died by Pokotho

 **Family:** Xander Lee (Husband), Louisiana McNamara (Daughter), Wilbur Cross (Father), Micah Icacks (Cousin), Gareth Icacks (Cousin), Sam Lowery (Cousin), Andrew Kilgore (Cousin), Ken Davidson (Uncle), Carol Davidson (Aunt), Joey McNamara-Yates (Grandson), Scarlett McNamara-Yates (Granddaughter)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Tamed_**

**Associate:** Wesbynbth (Alias – Webby) – Lady In Silk

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimensions 1 (Love), 2 (Death), 3 (Rebellion), 3.2 (Game), 3.2.1 (Relief), 4 (Shenanigans)

 **Identifiable By:** A scar that runs from the top right corner of his eyebrow down through his eye which leaves a grey streak and continues to the upper right corner of his lip.

~~~

 **5:00PM:** (under quotation of Benjamin Slate): Was awake and cheery surrounded by those he loved, safe in a pocket outside of the darkness called The White. Is optimistic he will be getting out of the realm to thrive alongside PEIP in the near future.

* * *

** Subject Four: December 16th, 2018: Matthews, Colonel Emma **

**Observed by: Doctor Nathaniel Kirk**

**Hair Colour:** Brunette

 **Eye Colour:** Hazel

 **Physical Symptoms:** Seizing, coughing, lack of breath

 **Medical History:** Helicopter crash that left a piece of shrapnel through her leg in dimension one, blown to smithereens in dimension 3, some various other things happened to her, but the helicopter crash has left her with a permanent scar across dimensions.

 **Family:** Paul Matthews, Tom Houston, Becky Barnes, Jane Perkins, Tim Houston

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Tamed_**

**Associate:** Wiggog Y’Wrath – The Lord In Black

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** 1 (Love,) 2 (Game), 3 (Rebellion), 3.2 (Game), 3.2.1 (Relief)

 **Identifiable By:** The scar on her leg

~~~

 **5:00PM:** Seemed much calmer than she was this morning. Woke up and seemed to know where she was. No longer needed to be sedated. Her skin no longer has a greenish tinge and her blood has returned back to red. Her eyes still have green glints though those are fading. She is very awake and has a lot of questions, especially those regarding the Lieutenant (PAUL not XANDER). There is a healthy amount of blood to all areas. Spore count: 3/300

* * *

** Subject Five: December 17th, 2018: Barnes, Nurse Rebecca **

**Observed By: Doctor Michael “Micah” Icacks**

**Hair Colour:** Red

 **Eye Colour:** Blue/Green I can’t remember and can’t be assed to check the file, if Kirk has a problem, he can write this himself

 **Physical Symptoms:** N/A

 **Medical History:** /

 **Family:** Tom Houston, Tim Houston, Emma Perkins, Paul Matthews, Stanley *redacted*

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Tamed_**

**Associate:** Nibblenephim – The One Who Feasts In The Dark

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** /

 **Identifiable By:** Smile, laugh, hair

~~~

 **5:00PM:** Started to feel a little nauseous and asked for a lot more water. Upped her dosage of medicine. Her eyes, skin and hair are all normal colours, and there are barely any spores in her blood. It’s a healthy red colour.

* * *

** Subject Six: July 28th, 2019: Woodward, Alice **

**Observed By: Doctor Nathaniel Kirk**

**Hair Colour:** Brunette (natural), Platinum Blonde (dyed)

 **Eye Colour:** Brown

 **Physical Symptoms:** Pain in her head

 **Medical History:** Infected in The Apotheosis, diagnosed anxiety

 **Family:** William Woodward, Mother

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Tamed_**

**Associate:** Bliklotep – The Watcher With One Thousand Eyes

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** 1 (Love), 3.2.1 (Relief)

 **Identifiable By:** Sarcasm, her phone case which is golden.

~~~

 **5:00PM:** With the knowledge that her Uncle Paul was in The Black and White, she had a panic which spiked her blood count and spore count. Her blood has turned a pinkish colour, though her hair, eyes and skin remain healthy looking. Her pupil has gotten larger, more natural, and she is primarily more worried about her uncle than anyone else.

* * *

** Subject Seven: July 30th, 2022: Slate, Major Benjamin **

**Observed By: Doctor Nathaniel Kirk**

**Hair Colour:** Brunette

 **Eye Colour:** Brown

 **Physical Symptoms:** Coughing up water

 **Medical History:** N/A

 **Family:** Kian Slate (Husband, though Benny and Kian are talking about it and Benny appears not to be ready for marriage at such a young age, I can’t blame him), Poppy Slate (daughter), George Slate, Elliot Peterson, Agatha Slate, William Slate

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** Wesbynbth – Lady In Silk

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** 3 (Rebellion), 4 (Shenanigans)

 **Identifiable By:** His glasses, round and with a metal frame.

~~~

 **5:00PM:** Woke up coughing up water, family were immediately concerned. Short of breath so placed an oxygen mask on him to regulate breathing. Blood is red and no signs of fatality. He did, however, seem emotional. After a brief interview with myself and Doctor Icacks, we discovered it was because he got to see his mother and father in The White and he could rest knowing he was okay. Pupils are slightly too large, though Slate described The White as a realm full of water and light, so I’m not surprised. Upon seeing Kian, he became quieter and asked for a moment of privacy. He’s a little shaky during the conversation. Will update further on that soon.

* * *

** Subject Eight: July 30th, 2022: McNamara, Lieutenant Louisiana: **

**Observed By: Doctor Michael “Micah” Icacks**

**Date Of Birth:** March 16th, 1999

**Date Reported Missing: /**

**Age (At The Time Of Missing Report):** 22

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 22

** Necessities **

**Hair Colour:** Brunette

 **Eye Colour:** Brown

**Physical Symptoms: /**

**Medical History:** /

 **Family:** General John McNamara (father), Lieutenant Xander Lee (father), Edward Hartford (biological father), Ruth Yates (girlfriend)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Scarred_**

**Associate:** Nibblenephim – The One Who Feasts In The Dark

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Dimension 3 (Rebellion), Dimension 3.2 (Dare), Dimension 4 (Shenanigans)

 **Identifiable By:** outfit – usually always wears an ornate necklace or dog tags around her neck

~~~

 **5:00PM:** Had no negative experience with The Black and White. Walked straight out of the portal with no sign she’d even been in there. She’s okay, and very excited about the fact she got to see General McNamara and Lieutenant Lee once more. She finally got closure on what happened to her father as well. She seemed to be offering advice to Lieutenant Slate while he was speaking to Kian, though I can’t be fuckin’ sure Jesus Christ john (it’s not john) I don’t care

* * *

**Subject Nine: July 30 th, 2022: Matthews, Paul **

**Observed By: Doctor Nathaniel Kirk**

**Date Of Birth:** February 21st, 1988

**Date Reported Missing: /**

**Age (At The Time Of Missing Report):** 35

 **Age (In Modern Times):** 35

** Necessities **

**Hair Colour:** Brunette

 **Eye Colour:** Blue

 **Physical Symptoms:** Anxiety, bruised knuckles

 **Medical History:** Diagnosed autism, infected in The Apotheosis, blown to smithereens during Black Friday, infected again during dimension one

 **Family:** Emma Matthews (wife), Cameron Matthews (deceased brother from alternate dimensions), Tom Houston (brother in law), Jane Perkins (sister in law), Tim Houston (nephew), Becky Barnes (related, somehow)

**Tamed/Scarred/Host: _Host_**

**Associate:** Pokotho – The Singular Voice

 **Previous Dimensions Encountered In:** Love, Death, Rebellion, Dare, Relief

 **Identifiable By:** The brightness of his eyes, the fact he dresses in a suit ninety percent of the time.

~~~

 **5:00PM:** Once out of the portal, and had a quick check to reveal nothing had gone wrong aside from the fact he smashed Wiggly’s face into a table causing him to bleed which then angered the god and almost killed both Ethan Green and Paul Matthews, he was okay and by Emma’s side. He gained a sense of pride. Honestly? Mood.

** Case Closed.  **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow micah shady much smh smh anyways stan michael fucking icacks for the clearest skin. also i have school starting again tomorrow BOO but whats not boo? harry styles. what is boo? my hair keeps sticking to my sudocrem ffs

**Author's Note:**

> i really hope you enjoyed bcs i dont have a fucking clue whats going on


End file.
